Journalist Pete O'Rourke believes West Ham are still keeping a close eye on Jesse Lingard's situation at Manchester United heading into the final days of the January transfer window.
The 29-year-old is into the last six months of his contract at Old Trafford, and has been linked with a move away from the club this month.
What is the latest transfer news involving Lingard?
Despite failing to start a single league game so far in 2021/22, there are no shortage of potential suitors for Lingard.
The 32-cap international has been attracting the attention of Newcastle, Tottenham and West Ham in the Premier League, while Ligue 1 outfit Nice have also reportedly joined the race for his signature this week.
However, West Ham's hopes of signing the attacking midfielder may have been given a boost after The Athletic's David Ornstein revealed on Tuesday that Newcastle are close to giving up on trying to sign Lingard due to the size of the loan fee that United are demanding.
Rangnick not at Old Trafford next season?! Find out more on The Football Terrace...
What has O'Rourke said about Lingard potentially returning to West Ham?
Lingard, who has scored 35 goals during his United career, spent the second half of last season at West Ham, but it seemed like Newcastle may have held the edge in terms of signing him this time around.
O'Rourke has admitted that the Magpies are clearly capable of out-spending West Ham thanks to their new owners, but, following Ornstein's update, he has now hinted that the Irons could step up their efforts to tempt Lingard back to east London.
He told GIVEMESPORT: “Newcastle have the advantage on the financial side of things at the minute, but I’m sure West Ham are actively monitoring the Lingard situation.”
Where will Lingard end up this month?
That is anyone's guess at the moment.
It seemed that Newcastle were closing in on landing the forward, but now their hopes appear to be fading.
This could open the door for West Ham to make their move, although they failed to sign Lingard on a permanent deal in the summer, and there is no guarantee that David Moyes will be able to land his long-term target on this occasion either.
Another possibility is that Lingard opts to remain at United to try to fight for his place in the team. He has hardly been given a fair shake to prove his worth in recent months, yet there is still time for him to turn things around before the end of the season, and if he can find form, he may earn himself a new contract to play under whoever replaces interim boss Ralf Rangnick in the summer.
Read More - January Transfer Window 2022: Rumours, Deadline and Everything You Need to Know