David Moyes has admitted he does not know how “realistic” it is to expect Jesse Lingard to be a West Ham player again next season.
After struggling for game time at Manchester United in the first half of the season, Lingard joined West Ham on loan in January.
The attacking midfielder has been a revelation for the Hammers, who have been the surprise package of the Premier League campaign.
Lingard has scored nine goals and provided three assists in just 14 top-flight appearances for Moyes’s men.
The England international faces an uncertain future, with Manchester United unsure whether to sell him permanently this summer.
West Ham have made no attempt to hide their desire to acquire Lingard, but Moyes does not appear to be getting his hopes up.
"I'm not sure how realistic it is,” he said. "I think Jesse has enjoyed himself, I hope he has, we've enjoyed having him.
"Manchester United, he is their player so they can decide what to do with him. If they choose that they want to let him go then I'd hope he'd consider us as one of his options."
A 1-1 draw with Brighton on Saturday essentially ended West Ham’s chances of a top-four finish this season.
The Hammers are five points adrift of the Champions League qualification spots with just two games left to play.
However, they will qualify for the Europa League if they finish fifth or sixth, and Moyes has admitted he is desperate to participate in continental competition next term.
"European football for a club like us, folk would be saying you don’t want to be playing European football on a Thursday and then [League] on a Sunday, all that carry on,” he said.
“ I do. I want it bad. I want the players here to want it bad. They’ve been getting it in the ear off me for six to eight months so for that I really want it.
"When you get a chance you’ve got to take it. We’ve had a smell of Champions League, we’ll keep trying to go for it but that has got a little bit less likely than maybe it was a couple of weeks ago.
"If there is some way you want to be rewarded for the season you have had, I think European football will be that reward.
"We all watch it, we all know about it, many of us have been involved in it, there are players here who have played in European games before. I think we want to try and get in amongst it.
"I don’t know if I will be saying that if I was in it and worrying about getting teams and whatnot together. But overall, I’m not considering any of that at the moment.
"I can only consider trying to win the next game. We might not make it, but I think we have got a good chance, and I want us to keep on going and try and do it."
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