West Ham United are prepared to renew their interest in re-signing Manchester United attacker Jesse Lingard ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, The Star reports.
Lingard had a superb loan spell with the Hammers during the second half of last season, bagging nine goals and five assists from 16 appearances.
The club were keen on re-signing him earlier in the summer, but they were put off by the reported £25 million set by the Mancunian giants.
However, they are still optimistic about landing his signature, and it could be boosted by the sensational return of Cristiano Ronaldo to United.
Lingard is likely to drop further down the pecking order with Ronaldo’s arrival. The Hammers are lining up a cut-price bid of around £15m.
Sportslens view:
Lingard has impressed for United in friendlies, but there are no assurances that he could play a regular role in the Premier League and European matches.
He was restricted to a four-minute cameo at Southampton last weekend, and he may struggle for regular game time with the club’s surprise deal for Ronaldo.
Ronaldo is widely expected to lead the line, with Edinson Cavani acting as the back-up.
This should add more competition for places out wide. Jadon Sancho, Mason Greenwood, Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial could get the nod over Lingard.
Meanwhile, he is unlikely to displace Bruno Fernandes from the number 10 role. The Portuguese played almost every game for the Red Devils last term.
With just 11 months left on his contract, a permanent move away from the Red Devils seems a distinct possibility. The Hammers appear likely to re-sign him.
The club are on the up after their sixth-place finish last term. They have made a bright start to the current campaign that sees them top of the league standings.
Lingard recently made the England squad, but he will be aware that he needs to play regular league football to boost his chances of featuring at next year’s World Cup.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
Read: Arsenal keeping close eye on Yves Bissouma.
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