West Ham United to beat Everton in race to sign free agent Jesse Lingard
West Ham are “likely to beat” Everton in the race to sign Jesse Lingard on a free transfer, according to The Daily Mail.
The newspaper reported via their print edition on Tuesday (5 July, page 69) that the London Stadium is the likeliest destination for the 29-year-old forward, who left Manchester United at the end of June when his contract expired.
The Daily Mail add on their website that Lingard is “ready to sign again for West Ham” after he spent the second half of the 2020/21 season on loan with the Hammers.
Mixed opinions
Lingard was superb in his half-season loan spell at West Ham.
In 16 appearances for the East London club, he scored nine goals and supplied five assists as the Hammers finished the season strongly and qualified for Europe.
Lingard had the chance to sign for us permanently after that loan spell but it didn’t seem as though it interested him because he had the deluded opinion that he would get a new chance at Man United.
Lingard had been overlooked time and time again at Old Trafford but even with big-name arrivals of Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho, he still thought he’d be better off competing with them for game-time rather than signing for West Ham.
Why did he think that? Does he not think much of us?
Lingard made a massive mistake and it set his career back by another year as he struggled for minutes in a Man United team that was a complete and utter mess.
David Moyes would have treated Lingard like royalty if he joined us – and so would have the fans.
We’d take Lingard now but he needs to earn the respect of the fanbase again.
He can be a top-class player but he’s not going to get an easy ride.