West Ham United Coach Hints At Possible January Transfer For Jesse Lingard

Jesse Lingard’s time at Old Trafford could and should come to an end in January, West Ham United assistant coach Stuart Pearce believes.

“He’s [Lingard] missed the opportunity to leave [Manchester United] in this transfer window,” said Pearce to talkSport.

"He can reassess his situation come January once again and decide whether there’s an opportunity to move clubs. He holds the cards, Jesse [Lingard].”

Lingard has been linked to West Ham United since his loan spell with them ended last season, and the Hammers have been trying their best to persuade Manchester United to sell him.

In late August, it was rumored that Manchester United was willing to let Lingard walk to West Ham United in exchange for their defensive-minded midfielder Declan Rice.

The potential Rice-Lingard deal quickly fell apart as West Ham United put a reported price tag of £100 million ($136.2 million) on Rice’s head, much to the dismay of the England international midfielder.

As for Lingard, he has only appeared in one game this season and he started off the bench as Manchester United’s midfield depth puts him behind the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba and Fred.

Adding Jadon Sancho to the mix during the summer further complicated things for him as well.

"The most important thing for him at the moment is his football. He's playing the odd game for United and also playing extremely well for England - and those performances for England might help him get in the United side,” said Pearce.

At the international level, Lingard scored twice in their 4-0 victory over Andorra, sending a massive statement to Manchester United to play him more.

Should Lingard feel disgruntled or slighted by the club’s decision to play him less, he can make a midseason move over to the London Stadium and join West Ham United.

It is widely believed that Lingard wants to remain at Manchester United despite the lack of playing time as the club’s chances of winning the English Premier League trophy increased, thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo’s return.

But Pearce believes that Lingard should still be heavily featured.

"I think he’s too good a player to be sat on the outside of it not playing and he’s at an age where he needs to be playing," he stated.