Newcastle United's reported interest in Jesse Lingard could 'spark West Ham into action' as the race for his signature begins to hot up, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.
The Manchester United forward has struggled for game time throughout 2021/22 and has entered the final six months of his contract at Old Trafford, opening the door to an imminent exit.
What is the latest news involving Lingard?
West Ham have been interested in the 29-year-old since his spectacular loan spell with the capital club in the second half of last season.
Lingard bagged nine goals and provided five assists in just 16 Premier League games for David Moyes' charges, firing them to a sixth-placed finish and into Europe.
However, a permanent move to the London Stadium never materialised, and now West Ham are set to face significant competition for the England international.
With Lingard receiving just 273 minutes of action in all competitions this season, it's believed that he has no intention of renewing his deal with United, sparking a tussle for his services.
Chelsea DOMINATE Tottenham in London Derby! Full reaction on The Football Terrace...
According to Sky Sports, Newcastle have made an approach for the attacker, while Football.London claim Tottenham Hotspur are also potential suitors.
And now, 90min have revealed the Magpies have made a fresh move for Lingard, offering United £10m to loan him for the rest of the season.
Meanwhile, the Hammers are still believed to hold a strong interest in Lingard and could fight it out for the creative talent this winter.
What has O'Rourke said about Lingard?
Given the apparent competition from Newcastle and Spurs, O'Rourke believes the West Ham hierarchy may finally feel compelled to firm up their attraction to Lingard with a concrete offer.
In an exclusive interview, he told GiveMeSport: “Maybe Newcastle’s interested in Lingard might just spark West Ham into action.”
Do West Ham need another attacker in January?
Although West Ham have enjoyed a strong opening half of the campaign, Moyes may feel he needs some attacking reinforcements this month in order to achieve his objectives.
Kurt Zouma's return from injury has eased the east London outfit's defensive woes, but they are still relatively threadbare in the final third of the pitch.
Michail Antonio is the only recognised striker in the first-team squad, and summer signing Nikola Vlasic and Andriy Yarmolenko are struggling to contribute when given opportunities to shine.
The duo have provided just one goal contribution in the Premier League between them this season, achieving lowly WhoScored ratings of 6.32 and 6.10, respectively, as a result.
Therefore, Lingard - a former favourite of Moyes who has racked up 130 goals and assists throughout his career - could prove to be an extremely astute acquisition for West Ham.
Read More - January Transfer Window 2022: When does it open, when does it close and which players are going to move?