Jesse Lingard set to hold talks with Nottingham Forest owner, big decision for West Ham United
West Ham may have given up their chase to sign Jesse Lingard who is reportedly close to reaching an agreement with Nottingham Forest.
According to West Ham Football Twitter account run by the reliable Hammers source, Claret and Hugh, Lingard is set to hold talks with Nottingham Forest over his next move.
ExWHUemployee reported on his Patreon on 19 July that the Hammers are desperate to bring him to the club, and it could be solved within this week.
Lingard landed at Biggin Hill last night on a private jet from Manchester, where he is expected to meet with Evangelos Marinakis at his London house. Claret and Hugh associate editor further added that it looks like he will agree a deal with Nottingham Forest worth around £200,000 per week.
It is indeed a big transfer blow for the Hammers as they have been serious about signing Lingard who impressed during a short loan spell before.
Lingard is a free agent, and West Ham have tried to bring him to the London Stadium this summer.
As per Fabrizio Romano, the Hammers are not out of the race, but Forest are “pushing” to sign Lingard.
However, it seems that Lingard was more tempted by monetary profits, and hence he chose Forest over the Hammers.
It also raises question marks over the ambition of the player, and the guidance he is getting.
The player who struggled for games last season should by now be joining a club and preparing himself for the season ahead. Instead, he was more involved in social media than actually trying to secure a move to a club that can help him get into the England squad.
We have seen in the past that players have often taken pay cuts to move to a bigger club or resurrect their careers.
The Hammers need to make a big decision now, whether to match the offer or let Lingard join Nottingham Forest.
If they miss out on Lingard, the club should look for better options, with Armando Broja and Gianluca Scamacca being their other major targets.