Jesse Lingard is still deciding his future.
The experienced attacking midfielder left Manchester United at the end of last season after 21 years with the club. Failure to extend his contract with the Red Devils now means he is a free agent and available to any club in world football on a free transfer.
Although David Moyes’ West Ham United appeared to be frontrunners to sign their former loanee on a permanent deal, according to a more recent report from The Guardian, the England international is now in advanced talks with newly promoted side Nottingham Forest.
Speaking about Lingard’s return from loan 12 months ago, Man United, who issued a statement on the midfielder’s departure on their official website recently, said: “Lingard returned to United after the summer and he came back to haunt the Hammers, curling home an 89th-minute winner in a dramatic contest at the London Stadium.
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“This goal would turn out to be the last of 35 strikes for the club he first came to as an eight-year-old. Now, aged 29, he leaves with 232 United appearances and 32 England caps under his belt.”
It is still unknown where Lingard will play his football next season, but Forest are believed to be prepared to smash their wage structure and agree to the 29-year-old’s £180,000-per-week demands in order to reach an agreement.
West Ham, on the other hand, are not so sure about agreeing to such expensive wages and this could obviously scupper any potential deal that Moyes may have had in mind.