According to a report by 90min, Jesse Lingard made it clear to Manchester United that he didn’t want to return to West Ham United amid a prospective late push by the Irons to sign him this summer.
The Lowdown: Hammers return never materialised
Lingard spent the second half of last season on loan with David Moyes’ side, notching nine goals in 16 games to help the club qualify for Europe for the first time since 2016.
It was rumoured throughout the summer that Lingard would be brought to the London Stadium again - either on a permanent deal or a loan - but it never materialised and West Ham spent their money elsewhere on Kurt Zouma and Nikola Vlasic.
The 28-year-old has only appeared for four minutes for Manchester United this season, with the likes of Bruno Fernandes ahead of him in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad.
The Latest: Lingard to fight for Manchester United place
The report by 90min states that Lingard 'communicated to joint chairman David Sullivan personally' that his preference was to remain with Manchester United rather than try his luck with West Ham again.
His inclusion in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for their triple header over the international break against Hungary, Andorra and Poland gives him a chance to show his worth to Solskjaer ahead of the next four months before the winter transfer window, with an inside source claiming that Lingard will reassess his situation then.
Solskjaer has confirmed that the midfielder will be used and could play an important role for the Red Devils, but with less than 12 months on his contract at Old Trafford, the player's options will remain open in January.
The Verdict: Let's hope Lingard doesn't regret it
Lingard is Manchester United through and through. He is best friends with one of the Red Devils' key players in Marcus Rashford and was one of their most influential players only a few years ago, being labelled as 'unique' by the club's current coach Michael Carrick in 2018.
He would have been disappointed with missing out on the European Championship in the summer and maybe a move to West Ham would have put him in good stead to make England's World Cup squad in 2022.
For now, though, the playmaker must take his chance when it comes to him at Old Trafford and hope that his decision to reject the Hammers is the right one in the long run.
In other news, West Ham remain keen for 'extraordinary' player after missing out on him in the summer transfer window, find out more here.