Ex-Manchester United star Jesse Lingard has joined newly promoted Nottingham Forest on a one-year deal. News just in has confirmed the 29-year-old’s switch to Forest.
BREAKING: Jesse Lingard has joined Nottingham Forest on a one-year deal ✍️ pic.twitter.com/NFeO7QVYMc
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) July 21, 2022
The former United player joins Forest as a free agent and has already signed his contract.
Forest, who are finally back in the English top-flight, are said to be keen to demonstrate their ambition to stay up and have cemented this with the signature of a player of Lingard’s calibre.
Lingard is set to earn a reported £200,000 a week at Forest. The 29-year-old underwent a medical on Wednesday night with his new club offering a lucrative deal that would make him the highest earner at the City Ground.
The 32-capped England international has snubbed West Ham, who were interested in re-signing him and reuniting him with David Moyes who signed him on loan from United just two seasons ago.
“West Ham had been cautiously optimistic that they were going to be reunited with Lingard, who excelled during a loan with David Moyes’s side two seasons ago,” Steinberg said.
As per the report, “They [West Ham] were reluctant to meet the England international’s request for a deal worth £180,000 but believed that an offer of about £150,000 a week would convince him to return.”
Lingard becomes Steve Cooper’s ninth signing of the summer, with Forest breaking their wage structure for the player who will undoubtedly become the star man at the City Ground.
The former United man joins Cooper’s side as a free agent, a month after being released by United when his contract expired in June.
The highly-rated midfielder joins his countryman and former United teammate Dean Henderson who has already joined the East Midlands club on a season-long loan in search of first-team minutes.
Lingard had attracted interest from a host of other clubs, not only in England but also around Europe. Italian champions AC Milan were heavily touted as a possible destination for the Three Lions midfielder. Wayne Rooney‘s D.C United were also tipped as a possible destination, as was Saudi Arabia.
However, it now looks like Lingard’s next club is just 91 miles from his hometown of Warrington.
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