Summer signing Jesse Lingard reportedly turned down a higher wages offer from West Ham United in order to join Nottingham Forest, despite suggestions he signed for the club just for money.
The former Manchester United midfielder put pen to paper on a one-year deal recently. The Reds beat off considerable competition for the 29-year-old, most notably from former loan club West Ham.
The England international spent the second half of the 2020/21 season on loan at the London Stadium, scoring nine goals and providing a further six assists in 16 appearances for the club. Lingard’s decision to choose to sign for Forest over the Hammers therefore came as a surprise to many, leading to suggestions among pundits and opposition fans that he had joined Forest due to a higher wage offer