KEY POINTS

  • Jesse Lingard returned to Old Trafford after a loan spell at West Ham United
  • Ole Gunnar Solskjaer makes it clear that Lingard is staying with the club
  • The team has its eyes set on winning the Premier League title once again

Manchester United is set for a rebirth, and a new run to the top of the English Premier League table is expected as the team is preparing for the imminent arrival of big transfer signing Jadon Sancho.

The winningest club in Premier League history is looking to add a 14th title this season as they beat Derby County, 2-1, on Sunday in a pre-season game, thanks to goals from Tahith Chong and Facundo Pellistri.

Manchester United also welcomed back fan-favorite striker Jesse Lingard as he came into the game as a second-half substitute after a successful loan spell with West Ham United last season.

Lingard has since been connected to a transfer with West Ham as the David Moyes side was certainly impressed to have him on the club.

He was struggling for playing time at Old Trafford due to the arrival of Bruno Fernandes, which led to the loan spell.

The move allowed him to develop further into becoming a goal-scorer, having scored nine markers in 16 appearances for West Ham.

The impending arrival of Sancho has made Manchester United fans worried with regards to the future of Lingard at Old Trafford, but manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer bared his plans for the 28-year-old winger.

“He was one of the positives. He’s a Manchester United player and he wants to fight for his place,” said Solskjaer after the game.

“He’s come back bright, confident, and with lots of energy. What he did towards the end of last season, that’s the true Jesse, that’s what we know he’s capable of and I think we saw towards the end that we lacked some options at times and Jesse is in the plans at the moment, yeah,” he added.

This is a great blow to West Ham’s potential bid for Lingard, and with Manchester United keen on keeping him, they will have to look elsewhere for a winger.

“He’s still in my plans. I expect him at Manchester United at the start of the season,” Solskjaer stated.

Manchester United finished 12 points behind league winners and cross-town rivals Manchester City last season, and having a much more confident Lingard back on the roster is great news for the historic club.

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