Jesse Lingard plays in friendly as West Ham United may be set to make new signing
West Ham could be set to make a new signing after free agent Jesse Lingard played in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Ipswich Town on Thursday (7 September).
Sean Whetstone, the editor of the 6foot2 website, tweeted on 7 September that the England international played 70 minutes in the 1-1 draw with the Championship club.
After training with the Irons over the past few weeks, the friendly was believed to be the 30-year-old’s midfielder biggest test as he looks to earn a permanent deal at the London Stadium.
Lingard in claret and blue
It’s been a strange few years for Lingard since he first joined the Hammers on loan from Manchester United in January 2021.
He had a superb spell in East London, as his nine goals and five assists in 16 appearances helped the club qualify for a place in the Europa League.
The midfielder’s performances earned him a recall to the England setup as he looked to finally have got his career back on track following a few challenging years at Old Trafford.
But despite looking set to sign for West Ham permanently once his loan came to an end, he decided to remain with the Red Devils to fight for his place.
He scored a late winner in a clash against the Hammers at the London Stadium in September 2021 to further add to the club’s woes after not being able to secure a deal for him just a month previously.
After struggling to nail down a place in the Man United side that season, Lingard once again looked set for a move to the Irons before he eventually joined Nottingham Forest when more money was put on the table.
But it didn’t go to plan for him at the City Ground, as he failed to score or assist in 17 Premier League appearances, registering just two goals in the Carabao Cup before he was released at the end of last season.
That has led to David Moyes offering him a chance to train with West Ham at Rush Green over the past few weeks, where he is believed to have impressed the coaching staff.
The fact he played 70 minutes in the friendly on Thursday shows that they are keen to assess exactly what level he’s operating at in a game scenario, as a short-term contract could be set to be offered to him.
The Hammers have until 13 September to submit their 25-man squad to the Premier League, so a decision will have to be made in the coming days on whether or not to sign the midfielder.
Lingard had been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia over the past week or so, but after the country’s transfer deadline passed on Thursday, it appears as though he rejected any interest from the Middle East.
It seems like he is finally fully focused on signing for the Irons, which could play a key role in Moyes deciding to offer him terms in the coming days.
In reality, it’s probably a relatively low-risk move for us to sign him on a short-term deal as we know he can be a quality player on his day and another attacking option would be welcome as we look to compete higher up in the Premier League table and have another successful campaign in Europe.
In other West Ham news, an update has been provided on one star’s fitness following an injury concern.