West Ham United is believed to still be the favorite to capture Jesse Lingard, despite rumors of a shocking transfer to Major League Soccer.
After his contract with Manchester United expired, the England international became a free agent, and it is only natural that he has attracted a lot of attention. In 231 games across all competitions while at Old Trafford, Lingard made 35 goals and provided 21 assists.
On Wednesday, ESPN reported that Lingard is set to travel to the United States for ‘ground-breaking’ talks, with two MLS clubs thought to be pitching to the attacking midfielder. 90min reached out to multiple MLS clubs who denied any interest in the 29-year-old, while Transfermarkt’s Manuel Veth revealed Lingard would only consider moves to Los Angeles or Florida.
ESPN broadcaster Taylor Twellman reported later on Wednesday that Inter Miami had ruled themselves out of the running, while LAFC ‘would not get into a bidding war’ for Lingard, though the Black and Gold still have an open Designated Player (DP) spot after signing Gareth Bale and Giorgio Chiellini with Targeted Allocation Money (TAM).
The LA Galaxy have all three of their DP Spots filled but it’s understood the club is disappointed with the performances of Douglas Costa and could look to part ways with the Brazilian should the right replacement be found. Orlando City, meanwhile, has all three of their DP spots filled and would need to buy down the contract of either Mauricio Pereyra, Facundo Torres, or Ercan Kara to make a deal happen.
According to 90min sources, the wages demanded by Lingard at present would make it difficult for most MLS clubs to strike a deal, with the former Manchester United man asking for a figure that would place him among the very highest earners in the league.
It’s understood that despite being unable to agree on terms so far, West Ham is still keen to bring Lingard to the London Stadium and remain favorites at present. Lingard enjoyed a successful loan spell with the Hammers at the end of the 2020/21 campaign, hitting nine goals and five assists in 16 appearances.
Meanwhile, 90min sources have also confirmed Everton remains in contact with the player’s representatives but that he’s just one of a number of targets under consideration.
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