Manchester United set asking price for in-form Jesse Lingard

Manchester United are open to letting Jesse Lingard join West Ham permanently, but could demand a fee of around £30m to part ways with the England international.

Since joining the Hammers on loan in January, Lingard has been one of the Premier League's standout players - with his return of six goals and four assists in just eight games deservedly earning him a spot back in Gareth Southgate's England squad.

As part of the loan deal, West Ham do not have the option to buy Lingard outright, but Sky Sports News state that the Hammers are prepared to do 'whatever it takes' to keep the 28-year-old at the club beyond this season.

It had been speculated that a fee of around £15m would do the trick, but the Mirror report that West Ham may need to double that figure to £30m to convince United to do business over Lingard.

It's the kind of deal which is in the best interests of both sides. For United, it's £30m for a player who could walk away for free at the end of his contract, while for West Ham it's an opportunity to keep one of their most important players.

United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has always insisted that the plan is for Lingard to return to Old Trafford at the end of his loan, but it's unlikely that he'll stand in the way of a sale if West Ham stump up an offer anywhere near that figure.

As for Lingard, West Ham manager David Moyes recently said (via Goal): “Jesse wanted to come here, right from the start. When I was talking to him he wanted to come to West Ham. He saw it as a really good place for him. I think he’ll have seen what we’re trying to do.

“He’s joined a good group of players as well. We’ve got international players and I’m hoping we can add to that in the coming transfer window. The job is to try to add to that.

“But I would hope Jesse sees this as a good place if it’s possible to be done, and if we think that we want to do it at the end of the season.”

Lingard has helped lift West Ham into fourth in the Premier League table with eight games to play. The Hammers have a one-point cushion at the minute, but with five teams separated by just five points, the battle for Champions League football could go down to the wire.

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