West Ham Confirm Second New Signing Of January

West Ham have confirmed the loan signing of Jesse Lingard from Manchester United. The midfielder will join the club until the end of the season as he looks to restart his career. Lingard has not played a minute of Premier League football this season. The 28-year-old had fallen down the pecking order at the Red Devils.

With the Hammers paying £1.3 million as a loan fee as well as the player’s wages the expected cost of the deal is likely to be in the region of £3 million. Lingard will be able to offer support in multiple positions in the West Ham side.

The former England international is able to play across the attacking midfield area. This utility means that Jarrod Bowen, Said Benrahma and Pablo Fornals will have increased competition for their spots. Lingard will also provide an option in the centre of midfield should Declan Rice or Tomas Soucek need a rest.

West Ham United will be hoping their new loan signing can positively impact between now and the end of the season.

Lingard will need some time to get up to speed as he has not played a single minute of league football this season. The midfielder, however, has been coached by David Moyes before and will be relishing a fresh start. One negative is Lingard will not be able to play in the FA Cup as he is cup-tied after playing for Manchester United against Watford in an earlier round.

The new signing does arrive at the London Stadium with plenty of experience at the top of the game. Lingard has played in the Champions League, World Cup and challenged at the top of the Premier League. The 28-year-old has won a League Cup, FA Cup and a Europa League trophy in his career.

The loan deal for Lingard was possible after the club made Said Benrahma’s loan deal from Brentford permanent. The Hammers would not have been able to sign Lingard on loan as it would have exceeded their acceptable amount of domestic loan deals.