West Ham are yet to discuss making Jesse Lingard’s loan move a permanent one this summer.
Lingard joined the Hammers from Manchester United in January and has enjoyed an excellent spell so far, scoring four goals in six starts and forcing his way back into Gareth Southgate’s England squad.
Signing Lingard on a permanent basis may well come down to whether or not West Ham qualify for Europe, according to football.london.
As it stands, the Hammers are still well in contention to finish in the top four and secure Champions League football for the first time in the club’s history. A fifth-place finish would represent their best campaign since 1998/99 and earn them a spot in next season’s Europa League.
Prior to his switch to the London Stadium, the 28-year-old had not started a Premier League game since New Year’s Day 2020, but he went straight into David Moyes’ starting 11 and bagged a brace on his debut, a 3-1 win at Aston Villa.
Lingard has been a consistent attacking threat and was conspicuous in his absence from last weekend's 1-0 loss to his parent club at Old Trafford, in which he was ineligible to play.
Speaking to the media ahead of Sunday’s home clash against Arsenal, Moyes said: “We have not thought about [a permanent move for Lingard] really, we have not taken it any further at the moment. We have him on loan and he is doing a good job for us just now … I think we will discuss that and probably look at it at the end of the season.”
Of Lingard’s international recall for the upcoming 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Moyes said: “I am really pleased for Jesse … his performances have warranted it in how he has played for us … We want him to be positive and show exactly what he can do on the pitch and he has helped us.”
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