West Ham offer falls short of expectations as Everton look to pounce on 35 goal man

After making the first signing of the summer, Everton seem to be very proactive in the market as they aim to strengthen the squad. For quite some time, Jesse Lingard has been linked to Everton and now that he is a free agent, the Englishman is said to be on the wishlist of number of clubs.

Lingard’s contract at Manchester United ran out at the end of last month and it was almost certain that the 29 year old was going to leave the club. Lingard had come through the ranks at Manchester United and is now leaving after a 21 year association with the Manchester club. In 231 games he’s played for United, Lingard has ended up scoring 35 goals.

In the past few seasons, Lingard was deemed surplus to requirements and was hardly utilized by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or Ralf Rangnick. Last season, he started just two Premier League games, with over 80% of his appearances throughout the season coming off the bench. In the second half of 2020-21 season, Lingard joined West Ham United on loan to play regular football. Uninterrupted game time did wonders for Lingard, who played 16 games and ended up having 14 goal contributions (nine goals, five assists).

Former Everton boss and current Hammers manager, David Moyes, is a big admirer of Lingard’s talent. Ever since his fruitful loan spell at the London Stadium, West Ham have tried to sign him permanently with efforts made last summer too. With the Englishman now being a free agent, the Irons seemed confident of landing the 29 year old.

Everton make contact with Jesse Lingard

According to The Mirror, West Ham have been keen to get Lingard but their offer has fallen short of Lingard’s expectations. Everton, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur have also made contact with the free agent. Newcastle tried to sign him earlier this year in January but a move did not materialize.

The Magpies are still locked in talks with the player’s camp but no agreement has been reached yet. There are teams from Italy showing interest in the 29 year old too. AC Milan and AS Roma are keeping an eye on the attacking midfielder.

On the other hand, Everton, though have been in contact with Lingard, it just doesn’t seem right for them to jump into the race. With the presence of Dele Alli, there’s already an attacking midfielder who can operate behind the striker. There are more critical areas that need to be addressed like having a deep lying midfielder.

The £50 million earned through the Richarlison sale has to be put to efficient use instead of just making random signings and trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.

Should the Toffees sign Jesse Lingard?