West Ham United move for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain hinges in success of Jesse Lingard hunt
West Ham will target Liverpool’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain if their pursuit of preferred target Jesse Lingard falls through, according to Claret & Hugh.
The Mirror had previously reported that the Hammers wanted the Anfield back-up, who is set to be available for somewhere over £10m as he has just a year left on his contract.
But it appears the club will only follow through on their interest in the former Arsenal man if free agent Lingard doesn’t return to the London Stadium.
The 29-year-old is leaving Manchester United after his contract expired, and The Mail reports that David Moyes has made an early move to bring him back to the Irons to beat competition for his signature.
He scored nine Premier League goals in a highly-successful 2021 loan spell at the club, but decided against making his stay permanent last summer.
He is still held in high regard at the club though and the manager hopes to convince him to return, but the club are apparently “wary” of being rebuffed once again.
Proactive
Lingard coming back to east London has seemed the obvious conclusion for a year now and it hasn’t yet happened, despite his fortunes at Old Trafford proving it a mistake to go back there.
ESPN reports that Newcastle have moved on but there is still interest from Serie A giants Juventus and AC Milan.
West Ham have proven to want him so he is sure to play the most under Moyes, who has already proven he knows how to use him.
Juventus are always in the running for a high-profile free transfer, but it is not always a long-term success as the fortunes of Aaron Ramsey have proven.
Oxlade-Chamberlain is a player in a similar mould to Lingard, but has a more checkered injury history and would take more time to adapt to the team.
But he is still high quality on his day, so if Lingard proves impossible to land it would seem like a sensible contingency plan.
Fans will have to hope that something comes of at least one of them, as the club badly needs new recruits.
In other West Ham news, the price for another one of the Hammers main targets so far appears to be almost too good to be true.
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