Jesse Lingard has hit back at reports that he was only after the money by joining Nottingham Forest during the transfer window.
His refusal to re-sign for the Hammers caused frustration among many fans – and certainly David Moyes – before rumours began circulating that he was making a switch to the City Ground purely for massive wages.
These were reported at one stage to be £200k a week but Lingard has made it clear that he was being offered fortunes from abroad.
Instead he decided to join the newly promoted outfit after they made it as clear as possible that they were ready to go as far as possible in satisfying him.
The former Manchester United and England star had been brilliant for the Hammers and as Moyes’ most admired transfer target he could easily have been expected to return to the London Stadium but this afternoon he will be in the red of Forest looking to put it over on us.
“I could have gone abroad for a lot, a lot, a lot more money, like life-changing money,” he told Sky Sports.
“So for me, it’s just nonsense really. I don’t really like to read into that stuff really, it was my decision.
“The owners were very strong in their approach to bring me here. They flew me to London, they went overboard to do what they could to bring me here.”
Interesting that his statement doesn’t deny that he went to Forest purely because they offered more money. He just says, look I could have had even more money but I didn’t want to move abroad.
I think there’s a major factor here that nobody is acknowledging and that’s the fact that Jesse is a family man like most of us. He probably doesn’t even need to move home to play for Nottingham, he’s closer to his family and everything that’s important in his private life.
Life-changing money…….. So what the premier League players get Now is not !
I don’t believe Lingard for a second. He doesn’t have milk around his mouth and he played this game well while it lasted. But as far as I’m concerned he has 100% made his decision, which means he is now yesterday’s news and as such, irrelevant.