Manchester United are exploring the possibility of using Jesse Lingard as a makeweight in their bid to bring Declan Rice to Old Trafford.
According to The Athletic, the Red Devils hope to take advantage of West Ham United’s desire to make Lingard’s loan move permanent as they firm up their interest in Rice.
The 22-year-old has been in excellent form this season, his partnership with Tomas Soucek playing a key role in the club’s resurgence.
David Moyes has claimed that Rice is worth more than £100million, but knows that he will be fielding enquiries from Man United and Chelsea this summer.
After Monday’s 3-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Hammers moved back into fourth place, making Champions League qualification a realistic target with just eight games left.
Lingard has contributed a lot to their impressive recent form, grabbing his sixth goal in just eight appearances for the club with a fine solo effort at Molineux.
The attacking midfielder had been frozen out under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but has looked reinvigorated since joining West Ham on loan in January.
He scored twice on his debut against Aston Villa, and has followed that up with goals against Tottenham Hotspur, Leeds United, Arsenal and Wolves.
These exploits earned Lingard a recall to the England squad for the first time in almost two years and he picked up three caps in the first round of World Cup qualifiers.
Lingard now has a place at the Euros in his sights if he finishes the season strongly, but competition is bound to be fierce in the final weeks.
Meanwhile, Rice looks assured of his spot having became a mainstay of Gareth Southgate’s team, bringing discipline and balance to the midfield.
