West Ham United and Ipswich Town agree secrecy deal amid Jesse Lingard development

West Ham and Ipswich have both agreed not to film or publish any footage from their behind-closed-doors friendly, according to the Daily Mail

According to the newspaper’s website on Thursday (7 September), Jesse Lingard is expected to play for the Hammers in the game the same day, as the club “considers offering” him a contract to return to the club after practicing with them during the summer.

Wolves are also interested in signing the former Manchester United and Nottingham Forest player, 30, but with West Ham and Ipswich agreeing to keep developments private, it appears there will be no public record of his or anyone else’s performance at Rush Green.

Lingard left the City Ground at the end of the season, having played only an hour of Premier League action since the beginning of 2023.

David Moyes had hoped to bring him back to the London Stadium on several occasions after his successful 2021 loan, but had been disappointed each time.

Decision time

Lingard’s relationship with West Ham has been somewhat of a tale since he departed the club the first time around, after scoring nine goals and giving five assists in just 16 games.

Even the former England international would probably admit that he should have returned sooner, since he scarcely featured in his final year at Old Trafford before his high-profile move to Forest didn’t work out.

Two years older and with so little football under his belt in the intervening months, his quality has most likely dropped, and while he would have been unlikely to maintain his sparkling form from that half-season loan, it would have been better than what he produced in Manchester and Nottingham.

But, if Moyes is to reintroduce him to the group, it appears like it will be now or never, with Wolves rising as a danger.

The West Ham manager may no longer require Lingard as a backup option now that Mohammed Kudus has been brought in at a high cost.

However, after missing out on a deadline-day striker, the Scot may prefer an extra offensive option if he is anything near a reasonable level, so a late acquisition might now be imminent provided it is affordable.