David Moyes now signs off on new West Ham United transfer after new Jesse Lingard development
West Ham United manager David Moyes has now signed off on another new transfer at the London Stadium after news emerged on the free transfer of Jesse Lingard.
According to Daily Mail journalist Simon Jones, writing on Monday 4 September, the East Londoners are set to offer a short-term incentivised to the former Manchester United and Nottingham Forest star during the international break.
Jones reported in his Transfer Confidential on Monday that Lingard will likely return to the London Stadium for a second spell having impressed while training with the Irons.
Moyes is keen to add to his attacking options having failed to sign a striker before the end of the transfer window and this news comes after it emerged on deadline day that he wasn’t set to get a contract yet as he hasn’t reached the required level, with Moyes yet to decide on his fate.
The Athletic reported on 2 September that Lingard remained hopeful of impressing the Scottish manager and that the 30-year-old “could sign at any time” as a free agent, as he continues training with the team to build up his fitness after playing only four times in 2023 at Nottingham Forest.
The England international certainly endured a tough spell in the Midlands, failing to prove why Forest paid him the big bucks to make him their marquee 2022 summer acquisition.
Plenty of doubt has indeed been thrown regarding Lingard’s future impact in the Premier League with a move elsewhere more likely than another English top-flight venture, and it was reported on 2 September that the former Old Trafford academy graduate was in talks with DC United [Washington Post].
However, it certainly now seems as if Moyes has signed off on another brand new transfer in East London after impressively completing deals for Mohammed Kudus, Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse and Konstantinos Mavropanos.
And with West Ham needing more attacking options with a Europa League adventure to come this month, Lingard certainly looks like the perfect bet with a London Stadium return now on the cards.
Moyes and the club board have certainly handled this Lingard saga with much thought and consideration after handing him the resources to find some fitness again, having trained with the first team throughout the summer and it certainly wouldn’t have been a swift decision to include him in the team given his recent struggles.
But after Jones’ latest development, it now seems as if West Ham United have reached a decision and it could yet turn out to be the right one.
A hungry and motivated Lingard has proven to be one of the most exciting and effective players in the Premier League, as shown in his last campaign in East London where he managed 14 goal contributions in only 16 league appearances at the London Stadium during the 2020/21 campaign.
Whether Lingard can match those levels again remains to be seen, but Moyes knows him well and vice-versa and the London Stadium still presents the 30-year-old with the best chance of finding himself again. A great potential deal for all parties involved.
In other West Ham news, one London Stadium target could have cost around just £15m had the Hammers made a last-ditch attempt to sign him.