Nottingham Forest have completed and confirmed the signing of Jesse Lingard on a free transfer after his contract with Manchester United expired at the end of June.
Lingard’s next move was a subject of speculation for quite a long time. It had been obvious for a while that he wouldn’t renew his contract with United and he reportedly wasn’t short of options regarding potential destinations, both in England and abroad.
West Ham were believed to be the frontrunners in that race ever since Lingard spent the second half of 2020/21 on loan at the London Stadium, scoring nine goals and producing five assists in 16 appearances for David Moyes’s side. However, Forest recently stepped into the fray by putting a significantly lucrative offer up for the player to consider, not fearing to break their wage structure as they prepare for life back in the Premier League.
It was obviously enough to swing the contest their way, and Lingard is set to continue his career playing for Steve Cooper’s team at the City Ground.
Having risen through the youth ranks at Manchester United, Lingard was promoted to the first team in 2014 and spent the second half of the following season on loan at Derby County. In all competitions, he made a total of 231 appearances for the 20-time English champions, scoring 35 goals and producing 21 assists, and helping them win the 2016 FA Cup, and the trio of Community Shield, League Cup, and the Europa League in 2016/17.
Lingard also has six goals in 32 caps as an England international.
