West Ham United make Jesse Lingard free transfer decision after new Al Ettifaq development in last 24 hours
West Ham United have rejected the chance to sign free agent Jesse Lingard with the former Manchester United attacker now joining Saudi Arabian side Al Ettifaq on a training basis.
Steven Gerrard’s side took to their official Twitter account on Friday evening (22 September) to announce that Lingard will be joining the club on a training contract which will be valid for a month.
Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano took to his personal Twitter on Friday to report that it will be up to both parties if they will look to go ahead with a permanent transfer after Lingard had been training with West Ham all summer.
Via Twitter, Romano wrote, “Jesse Lingard has joined Al Ettifaq on training valid for one month — as he’s still available as a free agent. Up to Lingard and Ettifaq, if they want to proceed together, Steven Gerrard will be key to decide too.”
After the former Old Trafford attacker looked all set at some point during the summer that he’d be joining the Hammers on a short-term contract (90Min, 14 September), it now seems as if David Moyes and the club have made the decision to cut ties for good.
The Warrington-born forward was also pictured on a flight to Dubai on Friday evening quelling any sort of rumours that he’d be returning to the London Stadium where he starred previously.
A couple of years ago, Moyes would’ve salivated at the opportunity to sign Lingard permanently after his tremendous exploits at the club during the 2020/21 campaign, but now the 30-year-old simply hasn’t been the same since and had any of the Premier League teams wanted him, he certainly would have already been back in the English top-flight playing.
He will have worked up on his fitness after playing a few reserve games for the Hammers and is perhaps ready to make an impression under Steven Gerrard.
It was just on Friday that Moyes spoke about Lingard progressing in training giving off the vibes that he’d be joining soon but there was also the feeling that he was not quite convinced.
And that’s certainly shown through these latest developments and given his struggles recently, it could turn out to be the correct one by West Ham United.
In other West Ham news, the East Londoners may well have found their next Declan Rice in one burgeoning Belgian talent, an ambitious bid could be on the cards in January.