29-goal Man Utd exile who previously ‘agreed’ to join Newcastle United returns to West Ham - for now

Lingard was released by Nottingham Forest this summer after registering no goals or assists in 17 Premier League appearances last season. The 30-year-old made only two starts after the World Cup break and Forest opted not to extend his contract which was reportedly worth up to £200,000-a-week.

The former England international joined Forest following his release from Manchester United in 2022. Now he is training with West Ham United, a club he spent half-a-season on loan at during the 2020-21 campaign.

Lingard enjoyed a productive loan spell with The Hammers, scoring nine Premier League goals in 16 appearances. His total Premier League record stands at 29 goals in 165 matches.

Sky Sports have reported Lingard is training with West Ham ‘to keep his fitness’ up but claimed there is a slight chance the player could be offered a short-term deal at the London Stadium.

Speaking earlier in the summer, the free agent told Sky Sports: “I’m considering all options. I’ve never ruled out any team or club out, so for me it’s just picking the right team and it’s got to be right for me.

“I just want to play football at the end of the day and that’s all I want to do. Obviously the project has got to be well suited for me, the team’s got to be moving in the right direction but just regular game-time – I’m still hungry.”

Lingard was heavily linked with a move to Newcastle in January 2022 after ‘agreeing’ to join the club on loan from Manchester United. The deal failed to materialise after it was blocked by Man United.

“I wanted to go on loan again in January because I wasn’t playing again,” Lingard told the Diary of a CEO podcast earlier this year. “Newcastle was on the cards in January. The deal was done - everything - but the United squad was not big enough.

“A couple of players went out on loan and when it came to me, John Murtough [Manchester United director of football] rang me and was like, ‘no, you’re not going on loan.’ I was like, ‘he’s on loan. Let me go and enjoy my football. I’m not playing here so let me go on loan.

“I want to play football.’ He was like, ‘what do you want? Days off?’ I said, ‘no. I want to go play football.’ They stopped the loan, obviously I was p*****.”