West Ham could miss out on signing Jesse Lingard from Manchester United

Jesse Lingard could start next season back at Manchester United because West Ham doubt they can find the funds to sign him on a permanent deal.

The England forward’s loan spell at the London Stadium has been one of the stories of the season, with Lingard’s form propelling the Hammers into contention for European qualification.

But with West Ham’s income decimated by the pandemic, the club are unable to commit to the player’s demands for a four-year contract worth in excess of £100,000 a week.

Lingard did not play a single minute for United in the Premier League during the first half of the season but has been a revelation since joining West Ham in January, scoring nine goals in 13 appearances to secure a surprise return to the England squad.

The 28-year-old played in all of England’s World Cup qualifiers in March — against San Marino, Albania and Poland — and is expected to be named in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the European Championship, despite intense competition among the attacking players.

West Ham boss David Moyes, who also worked with Lingard at Manchester United, has played an integral part in reviving his career and is eager to sign him permanently. But putting the deal together is not proving straightforward.

With West Ham recording losses of £65million last season and a bigger financial hit to follow for this campaign, the club are understandably reluctant to commit significant resources to long-term contracts — at least until they receive more clarity from the Government about the return of fans next season.

Michail Antonio signed a contract extension until 2023 before Christmas, but all other contract renegotiations with players have been postponed.

Moyes is also expected to sign a new contract at some point after triggering an option for a further 12 months to cover next season, but as Sportsmail reported last weekend, that deal has also been held up by the Hammers’ financial uncertainty.

Lingard has attracted plenty of interest elsewhere on the back of his superb showings, but most clubs are in a similar financial predicament to West Ham, so he may have to return to Manchester for the final year of his United contract.