Former and Liverpool defender Glen Johnson has blasted Jesse Lingard over his decision to join Nottingham Forest, claiming it is purely motivated by money.
Lingard officially moved to Forest last week having left early in the summer upon the expiry of his contract.
The talented attacking-midfielder was the subject of much interest, with , Newcastle, Leicester, and Tottenham all said to be keen on signing the 29-year-old.
Having had a successful loan spell with the Irons in 2021, it was assumed that ’ side would win the race for Lingard’s signature, but they were unable to reach an agreement with the England international.
Instead, he opted to join newly promoted Forest on a one-year deal, with reports claiming that his contract is worth £80,000-a-week but could rise to £120,000-a-week after performance-related bonuses.
This would make him the highest paid player in the club’s history and that news hasn’t gone done well with many, who think the contract will hurt Forest’s wage structure and shows Lingard in a bad light.
‘He’s ended up at Nottingham Forest because they paid him more money. There’s no two ways about it,’ Johnson told .
‘It’s not like he’s from Nottingham or is a Forest fan, I have no other words I can say about the move as there’s only one reason why he’s ended up there.
‘He’ll 100% regret not making the move to West Ham. To be honest, his move to Forest highlights a short-term mentality.
‘He’s gone on a one-year deal and will earn about £20,000 more a week, when instead he could have gone to West Ham on a three-year deal and been playing in Europe.
‘He would have ended up making more money anyway. He knows West Ham, he knows the players, but instead he could be fighting relegation every week with Nottingham Forest, which is hard work and will frustrate him.’
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