Despite suffering a fall from grace prior to his loan move to West Ham United, it’s impossible to ignore that Jesse Lingard is a European football calibre player.
Although the 28-year-old wasn’t at his all-time-best level at Old Trafford before making the switch to London, his short-term spell with the Hammers has proven why Manchester United kept faith in the 28-year-old for as long as they did. While uncertainty surrounds the next stage of Lingard’s career, one thing is for sure; the Warrington-born midfielder should be playing in Europe next season.
No Stranger to European Success
Forgetting Lingard’s current form with West Ham, history suggests that the 28-year-old thrives on the European stage. During the 2016-17 campaign, Lingard featured ten times for the Red Devils in the Europa League, and Jose Mourinho’s side went on to win the competition, beating Ajax in the final. The Warrington-born playmaker played his part in that success, scoring two goals and assisting another en route to lifting the trophy. United are now back in the Europa League final in 2020-21, and the Red Devils are 4/5 to defeat Villarreal in Paddy Power’s Europa League winner odds, as of May 12th.
Outside of the Europa League, Lingard has also played 16 matches in the Champions League across his Manchester United career, as per Transfermarkt. The 28-year-old is no stranger to the European stage, and that will serve him well as he ponders the next chapter of his career. However, his current form has piqued West Ham’s interests in signing him permanently, and the Hammers are on the cusp of qualifying for the 2021-22 Europa League.
Will He Achieve that Goal with the Hammers?
At the time of writing, West Ham are fifth in the Premier League with three fixtures left to play. With the Europa Conference League launching in 2021-22, there are now more avenues to qualify for European competitions. It’s fair to say that Lingard’s arrival has spearheaded the Hammer’s pursuit of a top-six finish. In his first 13 appearances for the London club, the Warrington-born midfielder has found the net on nine occasions and created a further three goals.
However, there are no guarantees that Lingard will return to West Ham at the end of his existing loan spell. According to Goal, the 28-year-old is open to returning to Manchester United if he’s given more minutes by the club’s manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Staying at United opens the door to potentially playing in the Champions League, although he’ll struggle to break into the team ahead of Anthony Martial, Bruno Fernandes, Edinson Cavani, Marcus Rashford, and Mason Greenwood.
Lingard Has Proved Himself Capable
Lingard’s future is currently up in the air, but that doesn’t mean that his quality should come under fire. The 28-year-old offers goals from midfield, making him a valuable asset for any side across Europe’s top leagues. Lingard will likely cost a hefty sum in the upcoming summer window, but his on-field contributions and European experience could represent good value for money.
