Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie is convinced Jesse Lingard would choose West Ham over his old side if it were a choice between the two.

This comes after Football Insider reported that Villa are interested in signing the 28-year-old attacking midfielder following his impressive loan spell in east London.

Lingard has been in red-hot form since joining West Ham from Manchester United back in January, already hitting double figures for goal involvements.

It is no wonder that Villa have now seemingly joined the race to sign the England international.

Hendrie, however, is not giving his former club much of a chance given how settled Lingard looks at the London Stadium.

When asked by TT whether the Villans had a shot at signing Lingard, he said:

"I'd be very surprised if he turned his back on them [West Ham] to be honest. Playing for Manchester United, he's won trophies, he's been involved in big international games and he's a big player.

"So I think if he had to choose out of the two, I'd be certain it'd be West Ham just for the season he's had and the boxes he ticks for them."

With West Ham also likely to feature in Europe next season, and possibly even in the Champions League, it is easy to see why the Hammers would be in the driving seat to sign Lingard permanently.