There was a growing feeling Jesse Lingard would choose West Ham as his preferred destination, but Nottingham Forest have now joined the race for his signature; West Ham have already made a proposal to sign Lingard and are satisfied with their offer
Thursday 21 July 2022 19:08, UK
Nottingham Forest have made a substantial offer to sign Jesse Lingard and are in talks with his representatives.
There was a growing feeling Lingard would choose West Ham as his preferred destination, but Forest have now joined the race for his signature.
West Ham have already made a proposal to sign Lingard and are satisfied with the offer they have on the table. The Hammers are now awaiting his decision.
The former Manchester United midfielder's representatives have been in talks with at least four different clubs in recent days and he is expected to decide his next club soon.
It is thought the two other offers are from leagues outside England.
The 29-year-old is a free agent after his contract at Old Trafford expired on June 30.
Lingard scored nine goals and registered five assists for West Ham during a successful loan spell in 2021. He made 231 appearances for Manchester United in all competitions, scoring 35 goals.
Sky Sports reporter Mark McAdam:
"I think this summer has been a big transition for Jesse Lingard in his whole career. He's been at Manchester United for years and, perhaps at one stage, thought he'd probably never leave the club.
"He had a few loan spells over that time, particularly when he was younger, and I think when you have that kind of a transition in your life where you go from being at one of the biggest clubs in world football, you need to assess and evaluate.
"I think just making the right choice was key for Jesse Lingard and if that meant just leaving an extra couple of weeks to ascertain the options on the table, he may feel that was the best thing to do.
"Let's be honest, if he'd joined West Ham two or three weeks ago, this offer from Nottingham Forest might not have materialised. It might be a better package. He might be closer to home. He might feel more suited to their style.
"But I think Jesse Lingard knows a decision has to be made and I think that this Nottingham Forest offer will accelerate his decision."
West Ham's first signing of the summer window was defender Nayef Aguerd, who joined from Rennes for £30m, and they also activated an option to buy goalkeeper Alphonse Areola for £7.75m from Paris Saint-Germain after his successful loan stint last season.
Hammers boss David Moyes is looking to improve his squad ahead of a season that will see West Ham combine Premier League improvement with a first Europa Conference League campaign.
They are in advanced talks to sign Chelsea forward Armando Broja but Thomas Tuchel recently played down talk that he is set to leave the club on loan this summer.
West Ham are also awaiting a response from Lille over the potential transfer of midfielder Amadou Onana and remain in discussions with Sassuolo over the signing of striker Gianluca Scamacca.
Nottingham Forest have been busy so far in the transfer market ahead of their long-awaited Premier League return.
Last month, Steve Cooper's side signed Nigeria forward Taiwo Awoniyi for a club-record £17.5m fee and have recently brought in Moussa Niakhate and Neco Williams - both in deals worth £17m.
Forest, who open their campaign with a trip to Newcastle on August 6, have also signed Brandon Aguilera, Giulian Biancone, Omar Richards, Dean Henderson, Ryan Hammond and Wayne Hennessey.
Convincing Lingard to play at the City Ground too would be a significant coup for Cooper.
Who will be on the move this summer before the transfer window closes at 11pm on September 1.
Keep up-to-date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
