West Ham boss David Moyes is eyeing a reunion with Manchester United ace Jesse Lingard in January, according to a report from the Mirror.
The Hammers have been linked with the 27-year-old play-maker for quite some time now, most recently by TEAMtalk.
And it is little wonder why. Moyes managed Lingard during his ill-fated spell in charge of Manchester United.
The Scot was a huge fan of the 24-capped England international. He once labelled Lingard as ‘the future’ of Manchester United (The Telegraph).
The 27-year-old has really struggled recently. That doesn’t mean that he has lost his talent and quality, however. Perhaps he has just lost focus and needs a fresh challenge.
And the Mirror claims that West Ham could provide him with exactly that.
It is suggested that Moyes is keen for a reunion with the Manchester United attacking midfielder.
Many Hammers fans will scoff at links with Lingard. He wouldn’t be the worse signing in the world, however. Especially if we can pick him up for a bargain fee in January.
The United ace’s contract is expiring in the summer. The Red Devils do have an option to extend that deal by a further 12 months. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is clearly not a fan of Lingard, however, so it would be no surprise to see the Norwegian move him on next month.
His £100k-a-week wages (Eurosport) may well prove to be a very big problem. If the 27-year-old is available for a cut-price fee next month, however, he might still be a cost effective option for the Hammers.
Lingard’s best season in a Man United shirt came in the 2017/18 campaign when he racked up eight goals and six assists in 33 Premier League games (Transfermarkt).
If he refocuses, works hard and puts everything he has into getting back to the top, he could be a really good signing for West Ham. Especially if he produces the kind of numbers he did in the 2017/18 season.
It remains to be seen whether the Hammers board will be prepared to take a punt on the Man United star, however.
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