West Ham United manager David Moyes is yet to rule out the possibility of signing former Manchester United winger Jesse Lingard as a free agent.
Lingard became a free agent this summer following the completion of his one-year deal with Nottingham Forest.
Last month, The Peoples Person reported that the 30-year-old had begun training with West Ham in an effort to get into shape and attract a transfer to a new suitor.
While still a Man United player, Lingard joined the Hammers on loan in January 2021 until the end of the season, during which time he formed a strong bond with Moyes.
“He had a fantastic six months with us. He re-energised himself, he re-energised the club and he did what he needed to do,” West Ham first-team coach Kevin Nolan stated, adding that it is this impact that convinced Moyes to offer Lingard an invitation to train with the London club.
Although Moyes had previously dismissed the possibility of signing Lingard when asked at a press conference, Nolan revealed his belief that a deal may in fact be reached if Lingard was able to regain his fitness.
This week, The Daily Mail reported that the West Ham manager is yet to rule out a move for the free agent, particularly with his recent rise in form.
“Jesse has trained with us for three weeks and he’s improved greatly from when he first came in,” Moyes confirmed, adding “He’s in really good condition – much better condition than he was when he first came in.”
The Hammers boss went on to praise Lingard’s loan spell with the club, noting the winger’s nine goals in 15 matches that helped the club to secure a Europa League spot.
“So there’s no real update on it at the moment, just to say that he’s back and getting much closer to the levels of fitness where you’d hope he would be,” Moyes concluded, failing to rule out the possibility of a return to West Ham for the Englishman.
Should a move to West Ham not materialize, Lingard has received interest from several other clubs.
Wolverhampton Wanderers were reportedly considering a deal for the player in the coming weeks, while Saudi Arabia expressed an interest in both Lingard and former United goalkeeper David de Gea.