Jesse Lingard could hand Manchester United a £500,000 bonus

Jesse Lingard will earn Manchester United a £500,000 bonus if he can help West Ham qualify for the Champions League.

The midfielder joined the Hammers on loan in January and has flourished under David Moyes, playing a huge role in their unlikely push for European football.

Three defeats in their last four games by Newcastle, Chelsea and Everton have dented West Ham’s chances of a top-four finish but they are still six points off fourth place with a game in hand. 

Jesse Lingard will earn Man United £500,000 if West Ham get into the Champions League

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must decide if Lingard has a future at Old Trafford when he returns

United will pocket a £500,000 bonus if West Ham manage to squeeze into the top four as part of the loan deal they struck with the Red Devils for Lingard at the start of the year.

Lingard has scored nine goals in 13 Premier League appearances for West Ham since joining in January. He has also provided four assists.

His performances have attracted interest from a number of Premier League clubs who are hopeful of taking him on a permanent deal next season.

As Sportsmail exclusively revealed earlier this week, Lingard could start next season back at Manchester United though because West Ham doubt they can find the funds to sign him on a permanent deal.

With West Ham’s income decimated by the pandemic, the club are unable to commit to the player’s demands for a four-year contract worth in excess of £100,000-a-week.

Lingard has scored nine goals in 13 Premier League appearances since joining in January

Lingard did not play a single minute for United in the Premier League during the first half of the season but has been a revelation since joining West Ham.

The 28-year-old won an England re-call and played in all of their World Cup qualifiers in March – against San Marino, Albania and Poland. 

He is also expected to be named in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the European Championship, despite intense competition among the attacking players.

Moyes, who also worked with Lingard at Manchester United, has played an integral part in reviving his career and is eager to sign him permanently. But putting the deal together is not proving straightforward.

With West Ham recording losses of £65million last season and a bigger financial hit to follow for this campaign, the club are understandably reluctant to commit significant resources to long-term contracts.