West Ham United could be the favourites to sign Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard.
That’s according to a recent assessment by journalist Pete O’Rourke, who feels the Hammers’ previous experience with Lingard sees them in with a ‘good chance’ to bring him back to London in the summer.
Lingard, 29, will be out of contract at Old Trafford at the end of the season and with no signs of renewal, the next five months at United are expected to be the English midfielder’s last.
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Although several clubs are rumoured to be on the hunt for the 29-year-old’s signature, including Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United (Guardian), according to O’Rourke, the Hammers may end up getting a permanent deal across the line.
That is largely down to David Moyes’ decision to bring Lingard to the club on loan last season – an incredibly successful short-term loan that saw the playmaker directly contribute to 14 goals in just 16 appearances, in all competitions.
Discussing the midfielder’s contributions at the end of last year, Moyes, as quoted by Sky Sports News, said: “I can’t really talk about him because he’s a Manchester United player and it’s not for me to talk,” said Moyes.
“But he was really good for us. Jesse knows what we all think of him here. My disappointment for Jesse would be, I think he’s such a talented football player and he’s not playing.
“He played a big part in our second half of last season. But you’d have to give credit to the players here, they’ve moved on without Jesse.
“People might have thought Jesse made a difference here. But the players have moved on and stepped to another level themselves. But I’ve got to say, Jesse was a big part of that.”
However, despite Moyes’ coyness over the possibility of resigning Lingard, fans have been offered a boost by O’Rouke, who, while assessing the Londoners’ chances of finally landing the 29-year-old with GiveMeSport, said: “The thing that gives West Ham a really good chance of getting this deal done is what happened previously with Lingard.
“He had a great spell on loan there last season. He knows David Moyes, he knows the club and he knows the players as well.”