Writing on his Patreon, reliable club insider ExWHUemployee has just shared the latest on West Ham United and their pursuit of Manchester United ace Jesse Lingard.
The Lowdown: Lingard saga never-ending…
It is well known that Irons boss David Moyes had the 28-year-old on his summer transfer target list after a very impressive temporary spell over the second half of 2020/2021 (WhoScored).
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Indeed, Lingard was the subject of intense West Ham interest earlier this year as Moyes and the club looked to secure a permanent deal.
However, the attacking midfielder instead opted to remain at United in the hope of reviving his Old Trafford career (Manchester Evening News) – a plan which didn’t exactly work out given his lack of game time under former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
As new contract talks stall, with Lingard reportedly open to leaving in January as many clubs circle (ESPN), ExWHUemployee has shared the latest on West Ham’s stance.
The Latest: West Ham set for early talks…
According to the insider, West Ham, and by extension their head of recruitment Rob Newman, will start talks ‘early’ in the January window in an attempt to sign Lingard.
Despite speculation surrounding a change in exit stance due to Solskjaer’s sacking, Ex says that he is ‘still expected to want to move’ in a possible boost for the Hammers.
However, there will also be plenty of competition for the England international’s signature and a ‘number of things to sort out’ with his deal.
The Verdict: Get it done?
Moyes’ high-flying Irons are seemingly on top of the world right now having just secured an impressive 3-2 win over European champions Chelsea at the London Stadium on Saturday.
However, given their increasingly congested calendar as they attempt to battle in the English top flight, domestic cups and now Europa League, West Ham will need to strengthen in January.
It is believed by another reliable source in The Evening Standard that Moyes will be backed to bring in a new striker, centre-half and potentially Lingard.
The latter man, we believe, shouldn’t come as a must for the club given they already have a wealth of options in the attacking midfield area – with Jarrod Bowen, Manuel Lanzini, Said Benrahma, Nikola Vlasic and Pablo Fornals all capable of shining there.
They are arguably in dire need of a natural striking alternative to Michail Antonio, especially given his concerning injury history, while new defensive worries surrounding Kurt Zouma and Ben Johnson indicate they may also be short defensively.
Lingard, despite being lauded as ‘unbelievable’ for his spell with West Ham last year by pundit Kevin Phillips, should be bottom of the priority list.
In other news: Journalist hints West Ham may now be in pole position to sign ‘world class’ forward for Moyes, find out more here.