West Ham Still In Chase For Lingard; 'Ball In Man United's Court' Says West Ham Coach

Jesse Lingard’s future at Manchester United remains up in the air after West Ham United revealed their interest in the winger last month.

The club wants him back at the London Stadium--but on a permanent transfer this time around.

West Ham United went up as high as fourth in last year’s English Premier League table and finished sixth, their best finish since ending up seventh during the 2015-16 season.

That result is very much in large part due to the loan arrival of Lingard, who had been stagnating at Old Trafford.

The Hammers’ attack centered around the England international team player, and their investment in him paid off very well as he scored nine goals in 16 appearances, helping bring Lingard back to form.

West Ham United coach Stuart Pearce has confirmed that the club is very much interested in a permanent deal with Lingard as they hope to continue their way back to relevancy in the Premier League.

In a discussion with talkSPORT about Lingard, Pearce revealed that them chasing after Lingard is “an open secret”.

"The ball is in Manchester United’s court. He is contracted to them. We would like him with us, there is no doubt about that,” said Pearce.

“He’s a special lad and was very good around the players – the players really like him. His ability shone out last year and gave us a great option in our squad. You never know, but at this moment in time it looks like he is fighting for a place in the United line-up."

With the arrival of Jadon Sancho at Old Trafford, many saw it as a sign that the club was moving on from Lingard, but Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer begs to differ.

He has since hinted that there is a role waiting for Lingard this season despite the Sancho transfer.

"He has reinvented himself and he has come back the man that we know. With the quality he has, he is going to play a big part. I forgot him when I spoke about goal-scorers,” said Solskjaer.

This bit of information may dishearten West Ham United and their fans, but there are still a couple of days away from the August 31 transfer deadline so a lot of things can happen between then and now.