West Ham can supercharge their relegation escape by throwing a lifeline at former Man Utd fan favourite
West Ham have a golden opportunity to sign a 32-time England international in January
West Ham United boss Nuno Espirito Santo is gearing up for a season-defining January transfer window as he looks to make sure that the capital club’s 14-year status as a top-flight club remains intact.
.jpeg?crop=3:2,smart&trim=&width=640&quality=65)
The Portuguese head coach replaced Graham Potter at the end of September and was largely accepted as the best available candidate after a calamitous start to the campaign under his Solihull-born predecessor.
Santo has slowly made the Hammers a tougher team to face since arriving, but hasn’t yet had enough of an impact to assure fans that they’ll fend off the threat of relegation.The 51-year-old, however, does have experience on his side.
He took up a newly-promoted Wolves side and assembled a team that instantly established itself as a European contender while over the course of his time at Forest, he inherited a team in even more dire straits than West Ham after being punished with a 10-point deduction and still comfortably kept the Tricky Trees in the division before catapulting them up into seventh in his only full season. This due to the strength of the teams that have come up, is arguably his most challenging relegation battle to date - and how he navigates the transfer window could prove decisive.
Jesse Lingard could be an option for West Ham
Former Manchester United and West Ham playmaker Jesse Lingard says he has "mutually agreed" to terminate his contract with FC Seoul following his surprise decision to relocate to South Korea in February 2024.
Lingard had been without a club for over six months before moving to Asia after a disastrous season with Nottingham Forest under Steve Cooper where he failed to register a goal or an assist throughout his sole league season at the City Ground.
Many thought Lingard’s best days were behind him, but he’s quietly gone about his business really well in South Korea, scoring 18 times and contributing 10 assists in 67 appearances as club captain while helping the capital side to a fourth place finish - their highest since 2019.
"He generated an extraordinary level of public attention and emerged as a symbolic figure not only for the club but for the entire K League," FC Seoul said when describing the impact of one of the few former England internationals to have ever played in that league.
Lingard wrote on Instagram that he’s excited for the next stage of his career while playing tribute to the Seoul supporters that have cheered him on.
Should West Ham re-sign Jesse Lingard?
Lingard, who has played 182 times in the Premier League, is currently out of contract and could be signed on a free transfer.
He’s quietly gone about his business excellently in South Korea and could be a beneficial signing to help West Ham in their push for survival.
Lingard is still held in high regard from his six-month loan spell at the club nearly five years ago where he registered an impressive nine goals and five assists from 16 appearances - guiding the club from 10th to sixth in the league table after arriving.
And while he’s unlikely to have quite that level of impact again, there’s no doubt that he’s rediscovered his form, confidence and fitness in South Korea. Perhaps a six-month contract until the end of the season could be a suitable solution to test if Lingard still has what it takes while giving him a lifeline in English football.