West Ham had their eye on Jesse Lingard during the January transfer window, but according to news from the Standard, they were hesitant to sign him. Despite his successful loan period in 2021, Lingard appears to be on the verge of joining South Korean team FC Seoul after agreeing to a two-year contract with the club. Lingard reportedly traveled to Seoul to finalize the terms of the deal after parting ways with his agents due to lack of interest in January.
Although David Moyes was reportedly interested in bringing Lingard back to the London Stadium in the summer, no deal materialized, despite Lingard training with the Hammers for an extended period. Interestingly, West Ham covered the cost of his hotel, transportation, coaching, and medical assistance, only to ultimately walk away from the deal.
This reported interest in Lingard in January comes as somewhat of a surprise, given West Ham’s reluctance to sign him and his eventual move to South Korea. However, it was always clear that Lingard would remain on their radar.
During the January transfer window, it was widely speculated that West Ham would seek to bolster their forward options, especially with the departure of players such as Said Benrahma and Pablo Fornals, and a mini-injury crisis affecting the likes of Lucas Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen, and Mohammed Kudus. While Lingard was not seen as the solution to this issue, the interest in him as a short-term cover makes sense, especially given Moyes’ familiarity with the player.
