West Ham United are planning a late bid for primary target Jesse Lingard after the England international fell further down the pecking order.
According to the Daily Star, West Ham could reignite their interest in Jesse Lingard and make a cut-price bid for the England international in the next few days. After new arrivals, the attacking midfielder has fallen further down the pecking order at Old Trafford. The Hammers hope Manchester United will be forced to cash in on the player before the transfer deadline.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans have been turned around after the unexpected return of Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus. The Portuguese superstar returned to Old Trafford a few days ago in a shock transfer as United pipped rivals Man City for the signing.
While Ronaldo offers certain qualities that improve Manchester United, there could be implications to Solskjaer’s plans for the season, including impacts on some of the players. Jesse Lingard, for instance, was supposedly in the manager’s plans for the season after his impressive display at West Ham during the second half of last season.
However, Ronaldo’s arrival now puts his playing time this season at further risk. Lingard, as it is, has competition from Bruno Fernandes and Donny van de Beek, with the manager seemingly preferring the pair ahead of him. He was keen on returning to West Ham, as he is guaranteed to game time in London.
With the World Cup place at stake in 2022, Lingard has to play regularly someplace, which won’t be possible at Man United. Fortunately for him, West Ham are still on the hunt for an attacking midfielder, and if reports are accurate, they might attempt to sign him before the transfer deadline.
The Hammers, at one point, had given up on Lingard after Solskjaer confirmed including the attacker in his plans. The club planned to sign alternatives such as Jonathan Bamba from Lille, who was available for a much similar price to Lingard.
The Hammers have been heavily linked with a move for Nikola Vlasic from CSKA Moscow, although their priority has always been Lingard. West Ham are sensing an opportunity to sign him after the arrival of Ronaldo and could make a £15 million, cut-price bid for the midfielder in the next few days.
David Moyes’ side believes that Lingard is in a unique position to force Manchester United to sell him, which could reduce his initial asking price of £25 million. As things stand, the Hammers certainly stand a chance to make their primary target signing, but with the transfer window ending shortly, things have to move fast.
