Jesse Lingard to Nottingham Forest: wages per week at Premier League newcomers and contract length explained

Nottingham Forest rocked the Premier League as they confirmed former Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard as their eleventh summer signing.

The move came as a shock to many, with Lingard previously heavily linked with a return to West Ham.

The London club were desperate to bring the 29-year-old back to the English capital after his successful loan spell in the second half of the 2020/21 season, where he scored nine goals and assisted four in only 16 appearances.

Nottingham Forest quickly swooped in for Lingard and sneaked ahead of West Ham after a long summer of negotiations, before wrapping up the deal in a matter of days.

Lingard’s arrival led to a lot of gossip and criticism over why he had chosen the newly promoted side over a team that will be competing in Europe for the second successive season.

There were multiple reports claiming that Lingard would be earning up to a staggering £200,000 a week at the City Ground and fans had assumed that was what persuaded him, however it appears that figure is way wide of the mark.

Here is everything we know about Lingard’s move to Nottingham Forest:

How much will Jesse Lingard earn at Nottingham Forest?

Despite previous reports suggesting that Lingard would be earning around £200k p/w in Nottingham, The Telegraph have since reported that he has agreed a basic salary of around £80k a week instead, with bonuses potentially reaching £120k.

His initial salary is thought to be around the same as what he was paid at Manchester United, where it was thought he was on around £70-80k a week.

The report says that Lingard’s rumoured £200k a week contract would never have been feasible for Forest, but the midfielder still becomes the club’s highest-earning player of all time.

While they have not paid a fee for the former free agent, it is thought that the Midlands club will pay around £10 million in wages over the next 12 months.

Lingard has joined Forest on a one-year deal which allows flexibility for both parties and means the Red Devils academy product can focus on working his way back into the England picture ahead of the 2022 World Cup.

Why did Jesse Lingard choose Nottingham Forest?

So while it appears Lingard’s decision to turn down West Ham for Nottingham Forest wasn’t completely money-related, Hammers fans will still be frustrated by his decision and many questions will be asked.

David Moyes’ side reportedly also offered Lingard a competitive salary deal and bonus package, though it is unclear whether they met the figure that had been agreed between the player and Forest.

As well as this, Lingard had met with Steve Cooper earlier this week and was impressed by the plan that the Forest boss had laid out for his vision of the future.

Who are Nottingham Forest highest-paid players?

While it is unclear how much any of Forest’s eleven new signings will earn at the City Ground, none of them will be making as much as Lingard.

Dean Henderson forks in a whopping £120,000 a week at Manchester United, however his parent club will be contributing towards that during his time on loan.

Lingard’s salary will be miles ahead of last season’s squad however, with their former top earner being Lewis Grabban who was raking in a rather more modest £25,000 a week.

It is thought that star man Brennan Johnson ended an unbelievable 2021-22 campaign on £2,500 a week, though he recently signed a new deal that is likely to add on an extra zero.

According to salarysport.com, last season’s top earners at Forest were a number of non-starters - Carl Jenkinson was earning £22k a week, while Gaetan Bong was on £16 a week.

With a number of their biggest stars barely making it into five digits last season, Forest will be expecting their wage bill to experience a dramatic increase in light of Lingard’s £80k weekly contract.