West Ham United target Jesse Lingard 'ticks all the boxes' for boss David Moyes and 'would love the opportunity' to return to the London Stadium, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.
The Hammers have succeeded in bolstering their backline by luring Nayef Aguerd away from Rennes in a £30million deal, but it now appears Moyes is eager to add creativity to his midfield.
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What's the latest news involving Lingard?
Lingard will become a free agent in the coming days, with his Manchester United contract expiring at the end of the month.
West Ham are keen to pounce and it is understood 'initial enquiries' were made with the 29-year-old's representatives last month.
Sealing a move to the London Stadium would result in Lingard returning to familiar surroundings, having spent the second half of the 2020/21 season on loan with the Hammers.
According to The Guardian, Moyes is so keen to secure a reunion that he is willing to offload Said Benrahma in order to make room within his squad.
The report suggests the West Ham chief is eager to strengthen his attacking midfield options and wants to cash-in on Benrahma before stepping up his interest in 32-cap England international Lingard.
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What has Pete O'Rourke said about Lingard?
O'Rourke believes Lingard remains one of West Ham's top targets, having also failed with an attempt to secure his services on another loan spell in January.
In a major boost for the Hammers, the journalist feels the outgoing Manchester United ace - who has previously been described by Red Devils and England legend Wayne Rooney as 'fantastic' - is willing to sign on the dotted line at the London Stadium.
O'Rourke told GIVEMESPORT: "I think we all know West Ham's desire to bring Jesse Lingard back to the club. They tried to do it in January but weren't able to do it.
"He ticks all the boxes, I think, for David Moyes and I'm sure Jesse Lingard would love the opportunity to go back to West Ham."
How do Lingard and Benrahma compare?
Benrahma enjoyed a fairly productive campaign in 2021/22, with him finding the back of the net 11 times and laying on a further six assists in 46 outings.
Although Lingard was able to get his name on the scoresheet just twice - once against West Ham - he was only afforded 548 minutes of action all season.
As a result, statistics show Lingard averaged more goals per 90 minutes than Benrahma last term, while he was less wasteful with his finishing as the England man boasted a better shots on target ratio, so he could prove to be an upgrade for Moyes.