TalkSport’s Alex Crook has claimed that West Ham are still the priority for free agent Jesse Lingard this summer.
The England international officially became a free agent on July 1, and now has a choice to make in regards to his next club. As of right now, West Ham seems the likely destination, with Crook saying: “I’ve been told this morning that West Ham remains Jesse Lingard’s priority. He had a fantastic loan spell under David Moyes, and would like to go back there.”
If you go back to the second half of the 2020/21 season, Lingard was one of the most in-form players in the league, recording 14 goal involvements in just 16 games at the London Stadium. A year after his loan spell ended, however, and that period of promise feels a thing of the past, with his progress stagnating once more on the Manchester United bench last season.
Now a free agent, Lingard has the opportunity to return to West Ham, and once again get back to his best form in a crucial run-in before Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad selection. Of course, West Ham aren’t the only club interested, however, with Everton also amongst his admirers, according to Paul Joyce.
As of right now, Lingard may not be in Southgate’s plans. The midfielder has barely played in the last season, and must get back to playing on a consistent basis to be considered.
TIF Thoughts on Lingard…
Lingard, who has been called ‘top class’, proved during his loan spell that he’s a good enough player to be playing week in, week out. And the Hammers can offer that once more. He must game-time the priority this summer when choosing his next destination.