Jesse Lingard turned a lot of heads when he signed for Nottingham Forest last month.
The time had finally come for the midfielder to leave Manchester United, having found himself out in the wilderness once again just 12 months on from what seemed to be a career-saving loan spell at West Ham.
Lingard has been given yet another chance to show what he can do in leaving United for Forest, but, unfortunately for him, the move to the City Ground was met with outcry from fans who claimed it was for all the wrong reasons.
Jesse Lingard signed for Premier League new boys Nottingham Forest earlier this summer
Lingard previously enjoyed a successful loan spell at West Ham in the 2020/21 season
‘I could have gone abroad for a lot of money but I want to stay in the Premier League,’ said the 29-year-old after many had suggested his move to Forest was down to money.
Lingard’s reported £120,000-per-week contract at Forest is almost four times Forest’s next highest earner. Seems a well thought-out-wage structure they’ve got going on at the City Ground.
Repercussions for the club may come later – current players and new signings are bound to raise their demands during contract negotiations in the future – but, for Lingard, this is a huge moment in his career.
The midfielder seemed destined to sign for West Ham last summer after scoring nine goals in 16 games for the Hammers on loan.
Lingard formed a good rapport with the West Ham fans, who expected him to re-join the club
The 29-year-old opted to stay at Manchester United but again struggled for minutes
He was loved by the fans and seemed to be enjoying his football again. He’d spoken about his off-the-field struggles at United, and it really did feel as if the Jesse Lingard that had shone in England’s run to the 2018 World Cup semi-final was back.
But he opted to stay at his boyhood club in Manchester and fight for first-team football. It didn’t work.
When it was clear he would be leaving Old Trafford this summer after a staggering 22 years at the club, West Ham had to be favourites for his signature. It was almost expected that it was a matter of when, not if, he would sign.
But he didn’t.
Instead he raised the eyebrows of many – including pundits Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville – in joining Forest, who were arriving in the Premier League for the first time in 23 years with almost a whole new squad after losing several of their promotion-winning stars.
West Ham manager David Moyes…