KEVIN NOLAN SHARES WHAT JESSE LINGARD HAS TOLD HIM AMID A POSSIBLE WEST HAM RETURN

Kevin Nolan has suggested that West Ham United will sign Jesse Lingard this summer, with the former Manchester United star training with David Moyes’ side.

The West Ham United coach stated that ‘if it works for both’, the club and the player, then he thinks ‘it will happen’ and he will be signed on a free transfer, as he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

Jesse Lingard spent six months on loan at the London Stadium two seasons ago, helping the club to Europe and Nolan added that the recently-released Nottingham Forest player told him that West Ham is his ‘second home’.

After Lingard’s first period at the club, he had a chance to return, but opted against it, in order to fight for his place at Old Trafford.

That didn’t work out, and once again, upon getting released by his boyhood club, he had the chance to sign for the Hammers last summer but decided to join Forest instead.

Things didn’t go well at the City Ground, with Forest fan and BBC presenter Darren Fletcher expressing his ‘surprise’ at this latest Lingard news, with Nolan sharing his thoughts on the ‘outstanding’ star.

Presenter Darren Fletcher told Nolan: “One thing that did take me by surprise when I did saw it, just because I wasn’t expecting it, is that you have Jesse Lingard training with you. How is he looking and how has he been? When he was last with you, he was outstanding.’

“Listen, he had a fantastic six months with us, didn’t he?!” said Nolan. “He re-energised himself, he re-energised the club and he did what he needed to do.

“I think because of that, the gaffer has said to him ‘come in and train with us’. He’s not quite up to match fitness, at the minute. I think we will continue to assess as we go along.

“But Jesse, the first day you see him, and he says it, ‘I feel like it’s my second home and I feel like I need to be here to go again’.

“If it works for both I think, it will happen. But that will be up to the boss. All we have to do is sort of see how he does over the next couple of weeks.”

West Ham should stay away from Lingard

The 30-year-old has been declining ever since that loan spell at the London Stadium and he isn’t exactly the answer to the club’s problems.

Yes, during his period at the club, he was game-changing and defining, but it was over a small period.

The Hammers are better off pushing for players like Mohammed Kudus, rather than giving Lingard a contract because, as he proved last season, there were times when he couldn’t even make the bench for a Forest side that narrowly avoided relegation.