West Ham are continuing to hold talks with Jesse Lingard about a possible return to the club, claims talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook.

Lingard spent the second half of the 2020/21 season loan at the London Stadium, and Crook believes the east London side are still keen to sign him on a permanent deal.

What's the latest news involving Lingard?

The 29-year-old has spent the past season back at Manchester United, despite being linked with a move to West Ham last summer and in January.

Newcastle have also shown an interest in the attacking midfielder, who is out of contract at Old Trafford next month, but it was recently claimed by The Telegraph that they will not sign him this summer due to his wage demands.

The same report stated that Lingard is now likely to move abroad, with a number of Italian clubs keen on acquiring his services.

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What has Crook said about Lingard?

Crook has acknowledged that Lingard could try his luck in a new country in the coming months, but he has also suggested that West Ham have not given up hope of convincing him to rejoin David Moyes's side.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “There has been talk of a move abroad previously. I think that, at the moment, would look more likely than West Ham but, I’m sure, conversations are still going on in the background, and they have been for about the last year or so.”

Is it time for West Ham to move on from Lingard?

West Ham need to make a final decision on Lingard, who has scored 74 career goals, as quickly as possible.

Last summer, they spent the majority of the transfer window pursuing the United attacker, only to miss out on him before turning to Nikola Vlasic instead.

Vlasic has struggled to make an impact since arriving at the club, scoring just one Premier League goal all season.

Lingard had a stunning four months at West Ham last term, scoring nine goals and providing five assists, but West Ham cannot afford to be messed around again.

If it becomes pretty clear early on in the window that he is unlikely to come, they need to switch their attention elsewhere, rather than wasting valuable time on Lingard.

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