---
title: "West Ham: Alex Crook drops Jesse Lingard claim"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/west-ham-jesse-lingard-transfer-gossip-news-2/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Daniel Clubbe"
section: "Follow up"
published: "2022-06-28T19:40:04Z"
modified: "2022-06-28T19:40:04Z"
---

# West Ham: Alex Crook drops Jesse Lingard claim

**TalkSPORT reporter Alex Crook has provided an update on the [West Ham United](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/west-ham-news/) pursuit of Jesse Lingard, confirming he is ‘definitely a big target’.**

### The lowdown: Stepping up

Having missed out on the permanent capture of the 29-year-old following a stunning loan spell in east London, the Hammers can now look again to bring Lingard to the club on a free transfer.

Set to become a free agent on July 1 when his contract at Old Trafford expires, West Ham are [reportedly](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12640478/jesse-lingard-west-ham-make-offer-to-sign-player-on-free-after-expiry-of-man-utd-contract) in talks with the former England regular, who wants wages in [excess](https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1608760/Man-Utd-transfer-news-Jesse-Lingard-Newcastle-Premier-League-latest-gossip) of £150,000 per week.

After [completing the move](https://www.skysports.com/transfer/news/12691/12641370/alphonse-areola-west-ham-sign-goalkeeper-on-permanent-five-year-deal-from-paris-saint-germain) to bring Alphonse Areola to the London Stadium to add to the capture of Nayef Aguerd last week, one informed onlooker has now suggested that David Moyes has his sights firmly set on Lingard…

### The latest: ‘Big target’

Speaking to [Give Me Sport](https://www.givemesport.com/88026406-west-ham-56-goal-star-a-big-target-at-london-stadium), Crook claimed that Lingard may need to lessen his wage demands but the Irons would certainly want to get the deal over the line.

He said: “He’s definitely a big target, but he’s going to have to lower his wage demands, Newcastle have already walked away.

“He’s got to be careful, Juventus have already cooled their interest, so he’s in danger of pricing himself out of a move, but David Moyes would love to sign him, there’s no question about that.”

\[freshpress-quiz id=”398176″\]

### The verdict: Fingers crossed

Albeit the lofty salary demands would see the forward overtake the [benchmark](https://www.spotrac.com/epl/west-ham-united-fc/payroll/) currently upheld by GSB in terms of wages, a player of the [£16.2million valued](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/jesse-lingard/marktwertverlauf/spieler/141660) Lingard’s undoubted quality being available on a free transfer allows the [32-cap](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/jesse-lingard/leistungsdaten/spieler/141660) England man to more or less name his fee.

Last season, the dynamic attacker – who was praised for an [‘extraordinary’](https://twitter.com/RobMeech/status/1365957281641340932) transformation during his loan spell with the Hammers by journalist Rob Meech – only managed [two goals and one assist](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/jesse-lingard/leistungsdaten/spieler/141660) in 22 appearances across all competitions, failing to complete 90 minutes at any stage of the campaign and therefore would surely arrive with an appetite to achieve once again.

Perhaps the most important quality for Moyes and what endears the Scot to the signing most of all is Lingard’s [incredible versatility](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/jesse-lingard/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/141660), a trait that allows the West Ham boss to utilise the soon-to-be free agent in numerous formations.