West Ham United: talkSPORT reporter gives late Jesse Lingard transfer confirmation to Lee Westwood
Jesse Lingard is definitely going to Nottingham Forest rather than West Ham after a protracted pursuit of the free agent, according to talkSPORT’s Ian Abrahams.
The newly-promoted side swooped in with an 11th-hour approach for the ex-Manchester United man on Tuesday night (19 July), which trumped the Hammers’ offer in value just when it looked like David Moyes was finally about to get his man.
Wage demands have been an issue throughout, and with the Irons not willing to up their bid it appears that the game is up on the year-long attempt to bring the former loanee back to the club, which Abrahams confirmed in a late-night response to golf star Lee Westwood on Twitter.
The talkSPORT reporter had originally added to the widely-reported views earlier on Wednesday (20 July), writing on Twitter: “From what I’m hearing Jesse Lingard is set to choose NFFC over WestHam”.
Then in a late-night reply at 1.00am Thursday morning, to Westwood’s suggestion that it would make fellow pro Billy Horschel pass out if it happened, Abrahams said simply: “It is happening”.
End of the road
For all the machinations regarding who is the favoured option for who it looks like money is the simply deciding factor here, and if Forest are offering more than West Ham are willing to stump up then that will be that.
It is highly frustrating for the club and the fans, who fellow talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook suggested had been disrespected by the 29-year-old, but it is the reality of the transfer market sometimes.
As soon as the successful loan spell at the London Stadium ended a year ago it seemed a matter of time before the ex-England international returned on a permanent basis.
But as the months passed through the summer and then the 2021/22 season without that happening, despite Lingard largely being confined to the bench at Old Trafford, it became clear that it was anything but a foregone conclusion.
There has been plenty of interest in his services this window but with three weeks now past since he officially became a free agent and a deal still not reached it is surely better at this point for the Hammers to move on.
Football remains a business whether we like it or not, and if an agreement can’t be found that suits both Lingard and the club then it won’t happen.
He is free to take the highest offer and play for Forest now they have put it on the table, and there is nothing stopping the Irons for offering more other than their assessment of his value, so if he isn’t worth what he will cost then they will just need to find someone who is.