David Moyes has revealed a return to West Ham for Jesse Lingard was never close to materialising over the summer.
Lingard, 28, scored nine goals in 16 matches for the Hammers while on loan last season as he earned a recall to the England squad.
However, despite speculation linking the winger with a return to the London Stadium, West Ham manager Moyes insisted Ole Gunnar Solskjaer never had any intention of selling Lingard.
“Ole made it quite clear to me early in the transfer window that he wanted to keep him,” said Moyes, whose side host United in the Premier League on Sunday.
“So I knew pretty early that he would be staying at Manchester United.
“I was hearing all the stuff but I had a private conversation with Ole who made it clear he was staying.”
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Solskjaer said earlier this week he wants to keep the United academy product at Old Trafford long-term, with his contract due to expire at the end of the season.
The return of Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to limit Lingard’s opportunities this season, with his four appearances for the club so far this season coming off the bench.
Asked whether he could revisit the situation, Moyes added: “I can’t talk about players at other clubs because that’s not the way we do it.
“But because Jesse was part of our club for a while, I think all I can say is that he made a massive contribution to the team, both on the pitch and off the pitch. We really enjoyed having him.
“I hope in many ways Jesse will look at that time and how well the players treated him and made him welcome. So it may change.
“He was great for us. But simply the manager told me he was keeping him and when that happens, I believe the manager – and that’s the way it went.”
