Darren Bent urges West Ham to sign Jesse Lingard for £30m this summer
Former Premier League striker Darren Bent has urged West Ham to sign Jesse Lingard for a ‘bargain’ fee of £30m in the summer.
The 28-year-old joined the Hammers from Manchester United on loan in January and has been an absolute revelation for the London outfit.
In nine league appearances since moving to East London, Lingard has scored eight goals and assisted another three to become one of the Premier League’s most in-form players.
David Moyes has been credited in getting the player his confidence back, and per The Athletic, it is highly likely he will be sold in the summer.
For that reason, Bent urged the club to sign him permanently. On talkSPORT Breakfast, the former England international said, “I don’t think £30m is that much because you’re now seeing teams buying players from the Championship for that much.
“With him [Lingard] you’re talking about a proven international who’s won big trophies at a big club.
“I think at that price he’s a bargain.”
Take our money
We don’t remember the last time a January signing, especially one that’s joined on loan, has had such a positive impact on the side.
No honest Hammers fan will deny that there was some scepticism when the deal was made official as Lingard hadn’t been playing regularly for the last two seasons.
When he signed, we were in a decent position in the league, but it was hard to believe that we would be fourth in mid-April and realistic contenders to qualify for the Champions League.
His performances have impressed pundit Adrian Dunham who wants him to not only make the Euro squad but also be a starter in Gareth Southgate’s team.
He said, “He’s been phenomenal. I know we’ve got a lot of players for England in that position, but he starts. I’m even saying he starts ahead of Sterling.
We must do everything we can to sign the player this summer, and as Bent rightly pointed out, players from the Championship these days cost £30m.
Recent reports have linked him with a move overseas, but we’d like to think that there’s a bond between him and West Ham now after we resurrected his career from the ashes.
In other West Ham news, Moyes delivers major Hammers fitness boost as Euro hopes soar