Former West Ham player Jesse Lingard has signed for a new club.

The 33-year-old has signed for Brazilian club Corinthians — the same side from which the Irons acquired Carlos Tevez, Javier Mascherano and Fabian Balbuena. The deal was announced on Friday, with Lingard set to wear the No. 77 shirt for his new side.

The former England international had a memorable loan spell with West Ham in 2021, playing a key role in securing Europa League football for the Hammers during the 2020/21 season. He scored nine goals in sixteen Premier League appearances before returning to Manchester United, where he struggled to nail down a regular starting role.

In 2022, Lingard signed for Nottingham Forest in what many Hammers fans regarded as a bizarre move. The midfielder only played 20 times for the newly promoted side before leaving the City Ground at the end of the season. Lingard has since gone on record saying that he regrets not signing for West Ham after leaving Manchester United.

Lingard moved abroad in 2024, signing for FC Seoul in South Korea. After scoring 19 goals in 67 appearances, he now moves to South America, where he will likely face fellow former Hammer Lucas Paquetá.

The 33-year-old’s career trajectory has been bizarre, to say the least. After a sensational spell at the London Stadium, West Ham fans were certain Lingard would sign permanently with the Irons. However, everything seemed to fizzle out following a flop move to Forest, and his career hasn’t really recovered since.

We’ll never know what would’ve become of Lingard had he accepted West Ham’s offer to return in 2022. He likely would’ve been a key part of David Moyes’ UEFA Conference League-winning side. He may have even found himself back in the England setup. But that never transpired, and Lingard’s career has become a lot less focused.

I saw some West Ham fans even consider bringing Lingard back for “one last dance” in January of this year. West Ham’s squad depth is near non-existent, and Nuno Espírito Santo’s side were struggling to score goals.

But in hindsight, I believe West Ham were right not to offer him a contract. Not only is he five years older than he was during that magical run, but he clearly has commitment issues.

We’ll wait to see how he gets on at his new club. But don’t be surprised if he is on the move again soon enough. And if this move doesn’t work out, it could just signal the end of Lingard’s playing career.