Jesse Lingard snubbed West Ham for Nottingham Forest last summer and it caused quite the stir in the football world.
West Ham’s year-long pursuit of Lingard came to an end when the David Moyes favourite made something of a shock announcement that he was signing for newly-promoted Forest.
While West Ham have – like Forest – struggled in the Premier League this season, the man they signed instead – £51m Lucas Paqueta – has slowly but surely started to show he is a class apart.
Lingard meanwhile is reportedly seen as a ‘failure’ at Nottingham Forest, making just 20 appearances – only 13 of those starts.
Now bit-part Lingard is safe but set to be released by Forest.
According to Football Insider, the club are ‘not willing’ to table the ex West Ham star a new deal and are set to ‘part ways’ with him at the end of the season.
The report claims Steve Cooper views the whole transfer as a ‘failure’ and has already ‘informed’ Evangelos Marinakis and the rest of the hierarchy that it would be best if he was moved on.
So West Ham fans may have to suffer another summer of Lingard links.
West Ham star Said Benrahma has posted pictures on a night out with Lingard as Nottingham Forest prepare to release the ‘failure’.
Benrahma posted three images with Lingard on a night out and said: “My bro”.
Lingard responded to the West Ham playmaker, saying: “My Broski”.
Earlier this season Lingard revealed the real reason his negotiations with West Ham broke down before he chose Nottingham Forest.
He said West Ham simply needed to show him more respect, claiming the Hammers tried to rush a deal through and issued him with ultimatums.
The Hammers have moved on. And while Lingard will almost inevitably be linked with West Ham again this summer, there has long been rumours of a move to MLS with David Beckham’s Inter Miami.
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