West Ham United should not continue to pursue long-term transfer target Jesse Lingard, who is now a free agent, if he rejects their latest offer.
According to the BBC , the Hammers have made an offer to Lingard to return to the club following his Old Trafford exit.
The 29-year-old will leave his boyhood club Manchester United following the expiration of his contract this month and is now on the radar of several European teams.
After starting just two Premier League matches last season, despite initially being promised a more active role within the Man United squad, the England international decided against signing a contract extension.
With the likes of Newcastle United, Brighton and Hove Albion and AC Milan all interested in the attacking midfielder as well, Lingard has a big decision to make before the start of the new campaign in August.
Now, following the submission of another contract offer to the player, West Ham supporters have endured two transfer windows of uncertainty surrounding the signing of Lingard.
For this reason, this should be the final offer that the club put forward to the player, otherwise time could be better spent searching for alternatives.
His previous spell with the club was hugely successful, scoring nine goals and producing five assists in 16 appearances for the Hammers after signing on a short-term loan deal in January 2021.
Lingard rapidly grew as a fan favourite, but following a breakdown in several contract negotiations the club should be starting to grow impatient.
The addition of his quality would be excellent for the squad, alongside his Premier League and European experience, and he already knows that he fits in well with the rest of the team.
If West Ham do sign him on a permanent deal this summer then it would be great news for all parties, but the Hammers should not be hanging around and wasting time if Lingard does not believe that the Hammers is the right club for him and his future.