West Ham United are "unlikely" to stump up the cash for Jesse Lingard this summer, according to reports...

What's the word?

The Athletic's Roshane Thomas provided a fresh update on the Irons' pursuit of the Manchester United loan star this week. When asked about the situation by one supporter on Twitter, the reliable reporter replied: "Unlikely the club will match United's £30m valuation."

In a recent column, Thomas explained that the Red Devils deem the 28-year-old attacking midfielder as their highest-value expendable asset, despite him entering the final year of his £75,000-per-week contract.

More bad news?

Lingard's time at Old Trafford looked to be all but over before a very successful stint under David Moyes at the London Stadium, where the Red Devils outcast delivered nine goals and five assists. It's even more impressive as he had not started in a Premier League match since January 2020 prior to his arrival at the Hammers.

Of course, after making such an impact - leading to Lingard being graded by WhoScored as West Ham's second-best performer of the entire season - Moyes made it ever so clear of his intentions to try and seal him permanently.

"I hope Jesse’s here, we’d like to keep him, he’s done an exceptional job for us but there’s no guarantees, he’s not our player," claimed the 58-year-old following the final game of the 2020/21 campaign. "But I hope Jesse realises we’ve been good for him as well, and that he joined a club on the up."

In recent weeks, reports have suggested that Manchester United would be offering Lingard a new contract, much to the anger of the West Ham fanbase, as relayed by Football Transfer Tavern.

Therefore, this latest claim is yet another setback in the Irons' bid to bring him back to east London, and it is one which may only infuriate their fans even more.

Nevertheless, £30m certainly seems like a lot of money for a player who was almost a forgotten man this time last year, especially considering that he would be free to leave next year too.

AND in other news, Moyes could seal another West Ham masterclass amid exciting claim, fans surely buzzing...