West Ham are reportedly interested in signing free agent Jesse Lingard.
The ex-England international, 30, has been without a club after being released by Nottingham Forest this summer. He spent part of the summer working at Inter Miami’s training facility, while also being linked with a move to the cash-rich Saudi Pro League. Currently, the attacker is training with West Ham as he aims to get back to his fitness levels.
In an interview with talkSPORT, West Ham boss David Moyes has not ruled out the prospect of signing Jesse Lingard.
“Jesse has trained with us for three weeks and he’s improved greatly from when he first came in,” Moyes said.
“He’s in really good condition – much better condition than he was when he first came in.
“I have to say, when Jesse joined us two years ago I think he scored nine goals in 15 games and was probably the difference between us getting into Europe for the first time.
“I want to give him every opportunity to get himself back in condition and see how he does.
“So, there’s no real update on it at the moment, just to say that he’s back and getting much closer to the levels of fitness where you’d hope he would be.”
Lingard spent time on loan at West Ham from Man United during the 2020/21 campaign and was a revelation, scoring nine goals and contributing six assists in 16 appearances. He rediscovered a spark with Moyes’ side, helping them earn a place in Europe for the first time. The Hammers wanted to make the loan move permanent that year, only to see Lingard stay put at parent club Man United.
Jesse Lingard to West Ham—Should David Moyes sign him?
West Ham have enjoyed a brilliant start to the new campaign—unbeaten in four league games. They have registered wins over Chelsea, Brighton and Luton Town and are fourth in the table.
The Hammers are a team on the up and Moyes will be aiming to keep the momentum going when the Premier League resumes after the international break. With European games to start from this month, Moyes will have to make the best use of the squad available at his disposal.
The Scot will want to have a fully fit squad to ensure players get enough game time and are not worn out so early into the season. And as there is a chance of boosting the squad further through the free agency market, he must take it.
Jesse Lingard has been training with West Ham for a number of weeks and seems to have impressed Moyes and his coaching staff behind the scenes. The English attacker had quickly become a cult hero during his loan spell at West Ham a couple of seasons ago, playing some of the best football of his career under Moyes.
The 30-year-old struggled to replicate his West Ham form for Steve Cooper’s Forest last season though and is now a free agent once again. Moyes is eager to reunite with Lingard, and as the player has been working hard behind the scenes to get back to his peak fitness levels, a short-term contract for him would make sense. He would improve Moyes’ attacking options whilst boosting the squad’s depth.
As Lingard knows the club well and has a good relationship with Moyes too, he could thrive again at the London Stadium following difficult spells at Man United and Forest.