West Ham United are closing in on the capture of Manchester United outcast Jesse Lingard for a fee of £10 million.
According to The Sun, West Ham are edging closer towards securing a deal for Jesse Lingard. The playmaker has rejected a new contract offer at Manchester United and is ready to leave Old Trafford in the upcoming January transfer window for a fee of around £10 million.
The player has already started making personal arrangements for his apparent return to London, having played for West Ham on loan during the second half of last season. He was immensely successful as well, being involved in 14 goals in 16 league encounters, helping the club seal a spot in the UEFA Europa League.
Lingard’s performances tempted the player to stay put at Old Trafford in the summer in an attempt to fight for his place in the team. But the Englishman has found himself being lower down the pecking order at Manchester United, featuring in just 63 minutes of league football this term.
West Ham were interested in securing a permanent deal for Lingard in the summer. But they were rebuffed by the player who wanted to prolong his career at Manchester United. However, it appears a return to London Stadium is now once again a possibility for the Englishman, as he hopes to pick up from where he had left off under David Moyes last season.
Lingard has no shortage of admirers, though, with giants like Barcelona and AC Milan interested in his services, in addition to the Premier League clubs such as Newcastle United. But the 28-year-old prefers to have a realistic chance of gaining regular minutes at the highest level of football in order to stand a chance of being included in the England squad for next year’s World Cup.
Given the quality of the English team, it could be quite a steep climb for Lingard. But if he can replicate his success under Moyes and rediscover his offensive partnership with Michail Antonio, the playmaker will certainly have a chance of not only being selected in the team but also becoming a potential starter.
As for Manchester United, his sale could be good decision as the club may have otherwise lost the playmaker for free next summer. He won’t be the only player to leave Old Trafford in January either, with Donny van de Beek also angling for an exit amid interest from Real Madrid.
Even Amad Diallo has been linked with a move to Barcelona while Edinson Cavani is also a candidate to leave Manchester United, having lost his place in the team to Cristiano Ronaldo this season.
