Jesse Lingard reportedly made it clear to West Ham that he didn’t want to join permanently from Manchester United.
Lingard enjoyed a hugely successful stint on loan with West Ham last campaign. His performances for the Hammers in their push for European football revived his international career.
With the World Cup due to take place in Qatar next winter, you imagine that Lingard’s focus would be on playing regular football in order to prove his worth to Gareth Southgate.
However, the midfielder has stayed with Manchester United beyond the transfer deadline, with no permanent move to West Ham materialising over the summer.
We may now have an explanation as to why.
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According to 90min, West Ham decided against trying to sign Lingard late in the window after the player himself informed them of his desire to remain at Old Trafford this season.
As is reported by Transfermarkt, Lingard’s contract with the Red Devils is due to expire in June 2022. He faces a race against time to earn an extension to his deal.
Lingard has been at Man United for over 20 years, so he owes it to himself to have one last try at proving his worth under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, even if it’s looking unlikely.
The report by 90min suggests that Lingard and his reps could think again about his future in January. With West Ham having signed Nikola Vlasic, that option may no longer be on the table.
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