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Manchester United attacking midfielder Jesse Lingard caught the eye of supporters up and down the country on Saturday evening, starring for England in a 2-1 win over Nigeria at Wembley.

The 2017/18 football season is over, but the summer is just beginning with all eyes turning to the upcoming World Cup in Russia.

England said goodbye to their home supporters with a final match at Wembley and produced a decent first half performance to do enough work to see off their African visitors.

Jesse Lingard was at the heart of much of the action during that first 45 minutes, finding space and combining with the likes of Dele Alli, Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane in the final third.

Fans of all persuasions appeared impressed with his performance, feeling he should be one of the first names on Gareth Southgate’s team sheet in Russia.

While the second 45 minutes turned into more of a typical friendly encounter, Lingard can be pleased with his display before being substituted off in the 67th minute.

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Is he guaranteed a spot in England’s World Cup starting eleven?

Fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts…

According to club insider EXWHUEmployee, Jordan Hugill could leave West Ham United on loan this summer in search of first-team football.

What’s the story?

It would be fair to say that eyebrows were raised when West Ham brought Hugill to the London Stadium in the latter stages of the January transfer window.

The West Ham fans were expecting high-profile additions during the winter window, and the signing of Hugill did not exactly capture the imagination.

The 26-year-old moved to the London Stadium off the back of scoring eight times in 27 Championship appearances for Preston North End in the first half of the 2017-18 campaign.

However, the centre-forward hardly kicked a ball in the second half of the season, and according to club insider EXWHUEmployee, could well leave the Hammers on loan this summer.

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Sheffield Wednesday are believed to be interested in Hugill, although it is understood that a number of other Championship clubs are closely monitoring developments.

Should Hugill seek a loan move?

To be blunt, yes. Hugill only played 22 minutes of Premier League football in the second half of the 2017-18 campaign as West Ham battled to stay in the top flight.

The forward had a decent scoring record at Preston, but has become a bit of a joke figure at West Ham, with even his club’s own supporters poking fun at him on social media.

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Hugill, who is valued at £7.2m by transfermarkt.co.uk, will be desperate to earn a spot in West Ham’s starting XI, but it is really difficult to believe that new Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini will select the forward on a regular basis.

Indeed, it is understood that Pellegrini is desperate to keep Javier Hernandez, whilst Marko Arnautovic has developed into a centre-forward at the London Stadium.

Hugill will not be short of interest from the Championship, and the Middlesbrough-born striker should seek a loan move this summer for the sake of his career.

Reported Everton target Xherdan Shaqiri picked up an assist but struggled in general in Switzerland’s impressive 1-1 draw with the 2018 World Cup favourites Brazil on Sunday, and Toffees fans don’t want their club to sign the 26-year-old.

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The Times reported on June 6 that the Merseyside club are considering a bid to sign the Stoke City winger, who has a release clause in the region of £12-13m following the Potters’ relegation to the Championship.

While he did provide the assist for Steven Zuber’s second-half equaliser, he failed to make much else of an impact in the final third for his team, while he also often didn’t track back with Brazil left-back Marcelo in order to help teammate Stephan Lichtsteiner.

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Everton supporters were quick to have their say on his performance via social media, and while one described him as “a fat Mirallas”, another said “Everton don’t go anywhere near Shaqiri”.

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Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

According to CalcioNapoli24, West Ham United are considering a move for Napoli striker Roberto Inglese in this summer’s transfer window.

What’s the story?

New West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini has already been busy in the transfer market this summer, with Ryan Fredericks, Issa Diop and Lukasz Fabianski joining the club.

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There is no question that the Hammers need to improve their options further forward, however, and it is understood that they had a £20m bid for Fulham captain Tom Cairney rejected in the latter stages of last week.

A new centre-forward is also a priority due to the speculation surrounding the future of Javier Hernandez, and according to CalcioNapoli24, Napoli’s Inglese has emerged as an option.

The 6ft 2in attacker spent last season on loan at Chievo Verona, and is yet to represent Napoli despite joining the club in 2017.

Would Inglese be a good signing?

Last season, the 26-year-old managed 12 goals in 34 Serie A appearances for Chievo, whilst he also netted once in two Coppa Italia fixtures.

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Napoli signed him in the summer of 2017, but he remained on loan at Chievo, and it is understood that the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti as head coach of the Naples club could see Inglese leave before actually representing the Italian giants.

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Valued at £9m by transfermarkt.co.uk, it is unlikely that the Hammers would have to break the bank for Inglese, and he showed last season that he is capable of scoring goals in a top European league.

Hernandez may well be leaving the London Stadium this summer, and Andy Carroll’s future is also up in the air. Jordan Hugill, meanwhile, hardly kicked a ball in the second half of last season.

Inglese is a little bit of an unknown quantity, but could turn out to be a smart signing for West Ham at an affordable price.

The cryptic “mystery” forward comment made by Louis van Gaal during pre-season preparations raised eyebrows at the time. Amid links with some high-profile players, LVG threw a curveball out there, claiming that the player he wanted was not one being talked about in the media. Intriguing.

Pedro emerged as the star many thought he was talking about, but with the Spaniard now effectively a Chelsea player amid suggestions the Red Devils pulled out of a deal, there is a certain level of doubt as to whether or not the Barcelona hero was ever the option Van Gaal was alluding to.

Perhaps even more intriguing are the Sadio Mane links, with reports claiming that interest in the Southampton attacker is genuine. Although not an orthodox forward, much like Pedro, could he be the “mystery” man the Dutch tactician spoke of? Maybe, and here are FIVE reasons he could be the perfect shock signing…

Pace, pace and more pace

“We’re not on schedule to be champions because we need speed and creativity at the front,

“Whether we can win the title in the next two seasons is dependable if we can buy players with speed and creativity.

“The hardest decisions are always which players you buy and which have to go. We know the Premier League is different to all the other leagues and players have to adapt.”

The words of Louis van Gaal himself speaking during the club’s pre-season. It’s fair to say that the Dutchman has a point, with his United side often ponderous last season, especially in the final third. Although talented players, Juan Mata, Robin van Persie, Radamel Falcao and, to an extent, Wayne Rooney are not blessed with pace, which was often an issues, especially against the bigger clubs.

Of course half of the aforementioned names have been moved on and Memphis Depay’s arrival has boosted the average speed score (if there is such a thing) within the United ranks, but Mane would offer yet another outlet. The Senegal international is lightening fast, and his presence on the opposite flank to Memphis would give LVG the chance to stretch teams away from home and counter-attack with lightening pace.

Although by no means as talented as Carlos Tevez, Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo were in the pomp, Depay, ‘Wazza’ and Mane could be a lethal front three.

Ambition

Mane is an ambitious character. He opted to leave Red Bull Salzburg after they failed to reach last season’s Champions League group stage, and he’s likely to have been effected by the exits of key men such as Morgan Schneiderlin and Nathaniel Clyne this summer.

Early season form at St Mary’s has been far from encouraging, so, perhaps, Mane could be inclined to force a move to United.

Premier League experience

Schneiderlin’s success so far under LVG – albeit it’s very, very early in the season – is encouraging. The Frenchman has settled into the club’s midfield, while, perhaps, the glamour signing, Bastian Schweinsteiger, has had to come on from the bench late in games. Fitness issues may be a reason for this, but it seems that Van Gaal does have faith in players with Premier League experience, as has been shown by the reluctance to go out and spend big on a centre-back.

Mane may only have one season in England under his belt, but 10 goals in that time – including the Prem’s fastest ever hat-trick – suggests that he’s made the adaptation already.

Schneiderlin link

On two fronts a link between Schneiderlin and Mane is worth considering. The pair played together well as the Saints impressed last season, so there is already a natural understanding on the pitch, which is encouraging.

Further to this, the pair could help one another off the pitch with the duo sure to have socialised during their spell in Southampton. Having an ex-team-mate would around would help Mane, while Schneiderlin’s ability to settle in Manchester could also be boosted.

Tactical flexibility

Although a winger, not the forward Van Gaal spoke of, Mane can play in almost every role in the final third. He’s been used as a ‘No.10’ in both Premier League matches so far this season, while his pace leaves him at home on either flank, but perhaps most intriguingly he has been used as a striker in the past.

With Red Bull Salzburg he stepped into the role and appears to be tailor-made to work in tandem with another centre-forward. A Rooney and Mane partnership? Maybe…

When Manchester United were dominant, it was Manchester City’s rush and clamour to show off their wealth and, presumably, their penchant for late night parties playing that new-fangled ‘rock’ music until all hours of the morning that led Sir Alex Ferguson to nickname the club across the Carrington divide the ‘noisy neighbours’.

Although City have moved out, these days, United are spending just as heavily as their city-neighbours, but the blue side’s brash start – they’ve managed some barnstorming wins and managed to turn the pundits right around on their title challenge and have become favourites by now – means that it’s the blue side of Manchester who are still making all the noise.

But everyone has their own style. City’s racket has brought them to the top of the table, but United have been sneaky. They’ve done it under the radar.

That sounds odd. After all, Louis Van Gaal has spent a quarter of a billion pounds since taking over as manager, including a potential €80m on a teenager – albeit one who’s already amongst the goals. But United’s start to the season – just like the majority of last season – hasn’t convinced anyone. They’ve plodded along and burst into life at times, but for the most part they’ve been pedestrian, keeping possession well, but managing little else. They’ve also looked vulnerable to counter attacks.

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Yet they sit second, just two points behind their neighbours. City have had a great start apart from their only league blip last weekend at home to West Ham, but Manchester United have kept the pace. Ominously so, given that they don’t seem to have hit top gear just yet. City have well and truly been in top gear, and have only managed two extra points.

It’s early days, and both United and City will have to continue to win if they’re to be at the top come May as Chelsea and Arsenal will find better form and shoot up the table again, too. But for the moment, it’s the noisy neighbours on top, but the sneaky neighbours just below.

United are like the neighbours who outdo you without ever making a fuss about it. The ones who save up and buy that new car, who build that new extension around the back of your house that you only notice when they tell you. Whilst you’ve been off on some wonderful holiday and you come back to brag about it, they quietly tell you that they’ve just been on an even better holiday.

That’s not to overly praise United and Louis Van Gaal. They’ve spent very big, but they have yet to play particularly well for a prolonged period of time. But that looks like an ominous sign to me. Because, with the team they have and because of how they are starting to win games, they look like they really will hit a vein of form at some point, one where they play well as well as win. And if they do that then they will look like title contenders.

At the start of the season, you have to keep the pace as much as possible. Most top teams seem to finish the season better than they start it. Partly they’re fitter than the teams at the bottom. Partly because they haven’t had to chase the ball around the pitch for an entire season spent with no possession. But it’s also partly because that’s when the big players come to the fore. When they realise that it’s crunch time. Chelsea’s win last week was crucial.

They could have been too far behind City already to mount a serious title challenge, but you get the feeling that they can claw back eight points between now and May, but 14 could have been too much. But United, having not played well, are still in touch. As ominous as City’s form has seemed, this is perhaps an even bigger claim for the title.

But it will only be a claim for the title if they can build on their success so far. It will only be a claim if they actually look like Champions at some point over the next few months. It’s still early days, but this season could be all about neighbourly rivalry – Manuel Pellegrini will have to do his best to keep up with the Van Gaals.

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So after the mid-table Merseyside clash comes the big one. The tabletopping title clash.

Louis Van Gaal’s side were top of the table coming into this weekend, and will look to regain top spot again by the end of the day. They were ousted by Manchester City yesterday, but a win today will put them back, and put them six full points ahead of Arsenal – and 11 above Chelsea.

Arsenal, on the other hand, can draw level on points with United with victory, clawing their way up the table even further and making it an early three-horse race for the title.

Arsenal v Manchester United – LIVE

The big news for United is that, in the absence of Luke Shaw and Marcos Rojo, Ashley Young starts at full-back, and there’s no place for Morgan Schneiderlin, who is replaced by Michael Carrick in the midfield. Clearly Louis Van Gaal is prioritising experience and calmness in such a big away game.

There aren’t many big surprises in the Arsenal lineup today. Petr Cech comes back into goal, replacing David Ospina after his disastrous performance in midweek, and Theo Walcott is preferred to Olivier Giroud.

Arsenal will be looking to use the pace of Sanchez and Walcott to frighten a United side with Ashley Young at full back, but United have the pace in Anthony Martial to trouble Per Mertesacker at the other end. Expect a tough day for the defences!

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Ahead of next summer’s Euro 2016 competition in France, Roy Hodgson will be starting to think about his final squad and the players that can help England have a strong tournament.

Although many of the names that will board the plane are already etched in, there is seemingly scope for young stars to win a spot in the contingent.

The example of Tottenham starlet Dele Alli, who has impressed in the Premier League and gone on to thrive in recent friendly fixtures for the Three Lions, will serve as an example to others.

Few would argue that the former MK Dons midfielder is a unique talent and worthy of his call-up for the national squad, but the question still remains whether the club that he plays for has had a role in Alli getting a chance.

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The box-to-box star moved to White Hart Lane over the summer and has immediately shown he is good enough to play in England’s top flight, which has led to a fast-track promotion to the national team.

However, if it had been Stoke City, Sunderland or Swansea that had splurged out on Alli over the summer, not Tottenham, would the youngster still have been given his chance this early by Hodgson?

There is no doubting that someone of Alli’s ability would sooner or later have risen to the pinnacle of the domestic game, but there is certainly a case to suggest that it would have taken longer to happen if he was not on the books of a top-six club.

Although the Tottenham man’s rise to the Three Lions fold may well have been rushed, the example of Jesse Lingard takes the argument to the next level.

The Manchester United winger is widely recognised as one of the most promising young players to come out of the Old Trafford youth ranks in recent time, but he is still only starting his journey in the Premier League.

There is every chance that the former Derby County loanee will play a more considerable role for Louis van Gaal’s men after recent form, but to date the attacker has only five Premier League appearances to his name.

Of these showings, Lingard scored the opener for the Red Devils against West Brom in his club’s last game and has shown signs that he can be a star of the future.

This led Hodgson to call the 22-year-old up to his England squad for the recent friendly fixture with France, with the United starlet an unused substitute in the clash at Wembley.

However, given that Lingard has only started two Premier League games throughout his young career, with his total exposure to the English top flight less than 200 minutes combined, isn’t his rise to the national set-up somewhat premature?

The fact that the attacker plays for United, not Bournemouth or Norwich, clearly has something to do with it.

There is every chance that Lingard and Alli can become mainstays of the England side in the future, but for the time being their rise to the national team must be a source of major frustration for other Premier League players.

Instead of Alli, who has only eight Premier League starts to his name, wouldn’t turning to someone like Mark Noble, who has been a standout for West Ham, made more sense?

And what hope has someone like Jason Puncheon got when Lingard is picked ahead of him after only two Premier League starts?

The Crystal Palace attacking midfielder has been a driving force for a resurgent Eagles side this year and more than worthy of a place in the England squad.

It is only natural that the best players in the Premier League will play for the best teams, but for England selecting stars of the less-fashionable clubs over the top teams’ fringe stars surely makes more sense.

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It might well have just been a managerial tactic to encourage a player trying to re-establish himself after a lengthy injury layoff, but Alan Pardew was keen to highlight the contribution of Connor Wickham at the weekend.

The Crystal Palace boss, clearly delighted with his side’s crushing victory over his former employers, singled out the forward as his man of the match. Whether it was the correct choice or not, there is no doubting Wickham played well.

The 5-1 triumph sees the Eagles soaring in seventh as the season edges closer to the mid-way point. For some time now there has been a lot to admire about Pardew’s team.

He has developed a strategy which was, to begin with, born out of the particular nature of the players available to him, direct without being route one, rapid transition between defence and attack, a spring loaded entertaining trap of a side of which the big teams are all now fairly nervous.

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Interestingly, before last weekend it seems a long time since anyone has decided to shout about the abilities of Connor Wickham. Perhaps the sporadic nature of his career to date is to blame.

He is yet to score for Palace, with a calf injury having sidelined him for most of his Selhurst Park career since moving from Sunderland.

In the Northeast too, the 22-year-old made only the occasional impact. A short hot streak at the end of the 2013-14 season was pivotal in helping the Black Cats avoid relegation but it was also by far, his greatest contribution in four years at the Stadium of Light.

As a teenager the Hereford-born man was considered a potential star at Ipswich Town. After his big money move north, however, injury and inconsistent loan spells saw him slip into obscurity.

Now though, still a young player, and a burly 6 ft 3 centre forward, Wickham will be hoping for another crack at the big time under Pardew, who had enough faith to spend £8million on him in the summer.

His attributes mean he might just be the perfect fit for Palace and his style certainly seems to lend itself to the dynamic outfit Pardew has created.

Against Newcastle the former England youth International was the focal point of the Eagles attack and laid on three goals for his team-mates.

He provides a natural pivot around which Palace’s quick moving parts can rotate. The striker loves using his strength to hold up the ball and wait for support but is equally adept at pulling wide to offer a quick route forward and stretch the play when his side win possession.

The direct running of the likes of Wilfried Zaha, Jason Puncheon and Yannick Bolasie is made possible by the industry and selflessness of Wickham and last weekend it was beautifully evident.

To assist with Palace’s quick transition from defence to attack there may well be no better man.

This week Zaha has been quick to recognise the efforts of his colleague, stating that his display on Saturday was “a massive performance” that “brought us all into the game”. The London club have already exceeded expectations in the league this term but it could now be that the missing piece of the jigsaw ready to help them push on towards a top six finish and Europe, has been waiting in the treatment room until now.

If Wickham can stay fit and build on his achievements last weekend, not only Roy Hodgson but the two O’Neills, Martin and Michael, will be watching with interest as the Euros loom large.

The front man has yet to win a senior International cap but is eligible to turn out for both Northern Ireland and the Republic through his parentage.

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Gareth Bale seems to have his name linked with a return to the Premier League in the every transfer window.

The Galactico at Real Madrid has faced an unsettled time in Spain to say the least, with his lack of consistency being a problem. However, one thing for certain is that Bale is living the dream. To quote fictional striker Gavin Harris from the film Goal II: ‘Nobody Turns Down Madrid’. With it being the biggest team in the world, why would any player who has worked so hard to get there want to leave?

This is the dilemma Gareth Bale may or may not be experiencing right now. With Florentino Perez a big fan of his, and with a hat-trick in Zidane’s first game as manager, you have to feel this is a player who should be the future number one in seasons to come. But should there be a bidding war, who would benefit the most and why?

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Bale is no stranger to the Premier League, having made his name there playing for Tottenham Hotspur. His form, particularly in Spurs’ Champions League campaign, in which he netted a hat-trick against Inter Milan, deservedly earned him a world record move to Real Madrid.

Yet through all this he still gets linked back to England every six months, and unfortunately for Spurs fans it is never back to the club he made his name.

The one club that does get mentioned is Manchester United. The Old Trafford club has not played consistently well since Sir Alex Ferguson left, and are in desperate need of a big name player, who knows the league, to fit in and fire them to a trophy or two.

They have already made attempts to do this, first signing Angel Di Maria for big money and then Radamel Falcao on loan, but both lasted no longer than one season at the club before moving on. The fans crave a new Ronaldo-esque player, though not Ronaldo himself. There is a real need for a player who can not only work within the team, but be called upon when needed to fire the team to glory.

Bale ticks all the boxes, due to being able to play on the wings and create chances for Rooney and Martial in the middle, and even pressing Depay into being a better player through providing competition. United would have to pay crazy money to get him, but he’d be worth every penny.

Another club often linked with Bale is Chelsea, who also have Real Madrid sniffing around one of their own players – Eden Hazard. This season Hazard has looked out of sorts and not convincing of a transfer to Real Madrid, however a few players do this when being linked to a club to try and force through a transfer.

WANT MORE? >> Chelsea transfer news | Man United transfer news

Cristiano Ronaldo himself subconsciously did it in his last season at Manchester United. But Bale at Chelsea would be another transfer that could make Chelsea dangerous again. Chelsea, like Man United, have the money to spend on the big names, and Bale would be no exception. In a Chelsea shirt he could link up well with Diego Costa and have freedom of the midfield, scoring as well as setting up goals.

Should Madrid decide that Bale is up for sale, then Manchester United would surely put themselves at the front of the queue, or find themselves frustrated if Bale was ever used as part of a swap deal for Eden Hazard.

Either way, Real Madrid’s recent transfer ban means any possible deal involving players going in or out of the Bernabeu club will likely have to happen this month, otherwise both Man United and Chelsea may have to wait a couple of windows before getting their man; because it’s highly unlikely Zinedine Zidane will sanction the sale of one of his best players without being able to adequately replace him first.

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