Aston Villa are keeping tabs on the contract situation of Manchester United forward Jesse Lingard, who is currently on loan at West Ham United, Football Insider claims.
Lingard hardly played for the Red Devils during the first half of the campaign, but he has revived his career since his move to the Hammers in January.
The 28-year-old has been exceptional in the league with nine goals and four assists from 10 matches, which sees the club in the Champions League mix.
It was recently reported that the Hammers need to pay around €25 million to sign Lingard permanently, but it appears that they could face competition from Villa.
The coaching staff at the Midlands outfit believe he is a ‘Villa-type player’ and would make a huge impact for Dean Smith’s side with his versatility.
Sportslens view:
Lingard has had a tremendous renaissance under manager David Moyes, and the Hammers are flying high in the league in the fourth position.
They look in a good position to qualify for European football, which could be a huge driving force to sign him on a permanent deal.
The Villans may be interested in the England international, but they may find it hard to convince him to join them over the Hammers.
Smith’s side made an impressive start to the season, and on-loan midfielder Ross Barkley had a few standout displays before his hamstring injury.
Since his comeback, he has struggled to make an impact, while the injury absence of talismanic captain Jack Grealish has been a big blow for them.
The club were hot on the pursuit of Milot Rashica last summer but could not negotiate a suitable deal with Werder Bremen for his services.
The Kosovo international may be available for a lesser fee this year, with his contract expiring in 14 months. He could be the alternative choice to Lingard.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
Read: Liverpool interested in signing this Aston Villa forward.
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