West Ham do want to sign Jesse Lingard permanently after sensational form during loan spell… but Hammers fear Man United will drive up their asking price and rival clubs will try and swoop for the England forward
- Jesse Lingard has rediscovered his best form while on loan with West Ham
- 28-year-old forward had become an outcast at parent club Manchester United
- Hammers would like to make Lingard’s loan permanent in the summer
- It comes after six goals and four assists in eight league outings for the club
- However, they fear United will try and drive up Lingard’s asking price
West Ham are set to launch a permanent move for Jesse Lingard – but there are emerging concerns over how much Manchester United will demand for the England international.
There is optimism at the London Stadium that they can pull off a successful swoop for Lingard, who has been a revelation since joining on loan in January.
The 28-year-old is known to have fully enjoyed his switch to London and there is encouragement at West Ham that he will give serious consideration to staying beyond this season.
West Ham do want to make Jesse Lingard’s loan from Manchester United a permanent move
Hammers manager David Moyes has been thrilled with Lingard’s form since arriving at the club
The forward has been sensational since joining on loan in January, scoring six goals in eight games and assisting four times.
His displays have earned him an England recall, with Lingard now a serious contender to be part of Gareth Southgate’s Euros squad.
West Ham are understandably keen to tie up a permanent deal for the 28-year-old given his huge impact.
No talks over the possibility of a full time move for Lingard have taken place between the Hammers and United as of yet – but the London club are keen to address the issue before the end of the season.
However, there are emerging concerns with regards to the price tag United will set for Lingard given his brilliant performances so far.
Lingard celebrates his superb individual goal in West Ham’s Monday night win at Wolves
The forward’s excellent club form earned him a recall to the England squad last month
West Ham did not secure an option to buy when negotiating the loan deal for Lingard and there are understandable fears that United will drive the price up.
Similarly, there is also likely to be rival interest in Lingard ahead of next season which will likely add a further complication to West Ham’s pursuit.
Wolves, Tottenham, Newcastle and Arsenal were among the clubs that considered moves for Lingard in January while others will have been alerted to his Sterling performances.
Lingard found game time hard to come by at Manchester United prior to his loan move away
The United academy graduate will enter the final 12 months of his contract this summer and there seems little hope of him extending his deal at Old Trafford, meaning the club will likely look to sell Lingard to avoid losing him for nothing.
But United are still expected to ask for a significant sum – as much as £30million – for Lingard and will be confident of sparking a biding war given his breathtaking resurgence this season.
