beIN Sports presenter Richard Keys has slammed Jesse Lingard's decision to join Nottingham Forest and turn down a return to West Ham United.
The England international signed a one-year deal to become the Reds' 11th signing of the summer this week. He joined on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract at Manchester United and is said to have rejected the chance to join West Ham.
Previous reports suggested the 29-year-old was close to a return to the London Stadium after a successful loan there in 2021. Lingard scored nine goals and grabbed five assists for the Hammers, but opted to join Steve Cooper's side instead, reportedly on wages nearing £200,000 a week.
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Following the announcement of his arrival at Forest, Keys took to Twitter to share his feelings. He said: "Jesse Lingard is 'bang ordinary' to occasionally 'good' in a decent team - which Utd are not and he couldn't get a starting place there. It'll be interesting to see how he goes in a struggling side. How on earth can he choose Forest over West Ham?"
Lingard could make his Forest debut today when they face Bundesliga side Union Berlin (4pm kick-off). He could also face Notts County on Tuesday and Spanish side Valencia next weekend prior to the start of the new season in a fortnight.
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