David Moyes claims the club never came close to re-signing Jesse Lingard

West Ham manager David Moyes claims the club never came close to re-signing Jesse Lingard this summer.

Lingard, 28, had a successful loan spell at West Ham last season, scoring nine goals in 16 games.

The club had been linked with a permanent deal, but Moyes claims that Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had no intention of selling the winger.

“Ole made it clear to me early in the transfer window that he wanted to keep him,” Moyes said.

“So I knew pretty early on that he was going to stay at Manchester United.”

“I was hearing everything, but I had a private conversation with Ole, and he made it clear that he was staying.”

Solskjaer has stated that he wishes to extend Lingard’s current contract, which expires at the end of the season.

However, the academy graduate recently turned down a new contract offer due to concerns about how frequently he will play.

The return of Cristiano Ronaldo is likely to limit Lingard’s options even further, but Moyes refused to say whether he would be tempted to make another move for the England international.

“I can’t talk about players at other clubs because that’s not how we do it,” added the Scot, whose West Ham team faces Manchester United on Sunday at London Stadium.

“But, because Jesse was a member of our club for a while, I believe all I can say is that he made a significant contribution to the team, both on and off the field. We had a great time with him.

“I hope that Jesse will look back on that time and remember how well the players treated him and made him feel welcome. As a result, things could change.

“He was fantastic for us. But the manager simply told me he was keeping him, and when that happens, I believe the manager and so it went.”