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Fans of West Ham United have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which the Hammers’ relayed footage of Jesse Lingard in action for the club.

Since making his loan move to West Ham from Manchester United back in January, Lingard has proven something of a revelation for David Moyes’ side, with the 28-year-old scoring five goals and providing two assists over his seven Premier League appearances for the Hammers, as well as averaging a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.34 – ranking him as the club’s best performer in the top flight.

In recognition of his fine form for the side, West Ham posted footage of the England international’s highlights for the club thus far on Twitter, accompanied by the attacking midfielder’s impressive statistics.

And, in reaction to the footage, fans of West Ham flocked to have their say on the matter, with many begging the club’s board to make Lingard’s loan deal a permanent move in the upcoming summer transfer window.

So, what exactly did these West Ham United fans have to say in reaction to the footage of Jesse Lingard?

“Been involved in 8 goals in 7 games! Mad!”

@Josephsimon007

“Sign him permanently lads.”

@WestHamViews_

“Class, class and more class as a player and as a man in how he treats others.”

@IronessWest

“Sign him permanently.”

@whulucas_

“Jesse please please please pleeease sign da ting.”

@WHUBanter

“Incredible.”

@_ghzst

In other news: This pundit dropped a claim on GSB’s £82k-p/w West Ham summer target – find out more here!

Raphinha becomes the latest Brazilian sensation to join FC Barcelona…

Brazilian winger Raphinha has joined Barcelona from Leeds United, with both the clubs agreeing on a deal which could see the LaLiga giants end up paying €65 million to the Premier League club.

FC Barcelona have seen several Brazilian players don their famous shirt in the past and some of them are legends of the game. Players like Ronaldinho, Neymar, Luis Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Romario have played for the Blaugrana and have found success.

There have also been Brazilians who have failed to live up to the expectation. Philippe Coutinho, for example, was acquired in January 2018 for a club-record transfer fee of €160m.

Coutinho remained at the club until 2021 but failed to make much impact. He was sent on loan to Bayern Munich and then Aston Villa before the Premier League club bought him permanently for €20m at the end of 2021/22 season.

As Raphinha becomes the latest Brazilian star to join Barcelona, we take a look at the top 10 Brazilian footballers to play for the Catalan side.

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  Ronaldinho

  FC Barcelona stint: 2003-2008

  Trophies: LaLiga (2), Supercopa de Espana (2), Champions League (1)

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  Dani Alves

  FC Barcelona stint: 2008-2016, 2021-2022

  Trophies: LaLiga (6), Supercopa de Espana (4), Copa del Rey (4), Champions League (3), Copa Catalunya (2), Supercopa de Catalunya (1), UEFA Super Cup (3), FIFA Club World Cup (3).

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  Neymar

  FC Barcelona stint: 2013-2017

  Trophies: LaLiga (2), Supercopa de Espana (1), Copa del Rey (3), Champions League (1), FIFA Club World Cup (1).

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  Ronaldo

  FC Barcelona stint: 1996-1997

  Trophies: UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1), Supercopa de Espana (1), Copa del Rey (1).

The reasons for wanting to leave may differ but some of the biggest names in the game will be desperate to engineer a move before the window closes

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  Neymar (PSG)

  Despite his record-breaking £198 million ($248m) transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2017 to pursue a new challenge away from Barcelona, Neymar has never appeared truly happy in Ligue 1.

  The Brazilian forward essentially moved to the Parc des Princes to win both the Champions League and the Ballon d'Or. He has achieved neither goal.

  PSG have now conceded that their statement signing is for sale at the right price after Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu finally confirmed the 27-year-old is keen to leave his current club.

  This transfer saga could run all summer along but one can be sure that Neymar and his entourage will be doing everything to secure a return to Camp Nou.

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  Paul Pogba (Manchester United)

  The Pogba circus is currently on a pre-season tour in Australia but the Manchester United midfielder has already admitted that he wants a new challenge and his agent, Mino Raiola, is already paving the way for his client's departure.

  The 26-year-old is poised to either join fellow Frenchman Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid or return to Juventus after becoming disillusioned with life at Old Trafford.

  When motivated, there is no doubt that Pogba is a world-class player, as underlined by his record of 16 goals and 11 assists from midfield in all competitions last season, but it looks as if he's determined to join a club capable of winning the Champions League.

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  Gareth Bale (Real Madrid)

  There is no doubting Bale's ability to be a match-winner but he has fallen out of favour at Real Madrid, both with the club's fans and, even more importantly, coach Zinedine Zidane.

  The Wales international, who turns 30 in the coming days, could clearly do with a change of scenery but his wages, reportedly £350,000 a week after tax, represent a major stumbling block for potential suitors.

  Nonetheless, Bale has been linked with a move to Manchester United as part of a deal to bring Pogba to the Spanish capital, while former employers Tottenham are also believed to be interested.

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  Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)

  Ozil is a playmaker with extraordinary talent but the German just isn't the right fit for the kind of football Arsenal boss Unai Emery is trying to play at the Emirates.

  At 30, the attacking midfielder is hardly going to change his ways now and would be better linking up with a coach willing to build a side around him.

  However, there has, as of yet, been no interest in a player who is on a whopping £350,000 a week in north London.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Kevin Phillips, who made 149 appearances for Sunderland, spoke of how much Jordan Jones has impressed him when called upon since signing on-loan from Rangers in January.

After starting just one in his first six games for Sunderland, Jones has settled into Lee Johnson’s side. The Northern Ireland international had started the last three league matches scoring once and registering two assists, before he served a suspension against Accrington.

Jones arrived at Sunderland after being suspended for seven games by the Scottish Football Association for breaching Covid-19 rules, as well as having to self-isolate for 14 days but has settled into life on Wearside well.

Speaking on Jones’ settling in period and believes the Rangers striker has shown he has something about him, Phillips told FFC exclusively:

“He’s taken time to settle in but now we’re seeing it pay off. He scored an unbelievable goal against Crewe and then scored a lovely delicate chip the other night and he’s playing with confidence.

“It’s great to have players like that and you don’t play for Rangers unless you’ve got something about you.

“In League One, if you’ve got something about you, then you’ll perform. So, the good thing about these players is that they’re performing at the right time.”

Jones has two goals and three assists in his nine appearances for Sunderland and seems to be complementing Charlie Wyke and Aiden McGeady well.

Sunderland find themselves just two points adrift of Peterborough in second place, so they will be targeting automatic promotion.

While Manchester City and Liverpool dominated our main team of the year, as many as 10 clubs are represented in the under-21 edition

Manchester City and Liverpool's battle for the title dominated this season's edition of the Premier League, but they are scarcely represented in Goal’s Under-21 Team of the Year – with young talent impressing all over the division in 2018-19.

A total of 10 clubs feature in our side of starlets, with performances in all competitions taken into account in order to compile this best XI.

From finalists in the Champions League and Europa League to players who spent their seasons fighting relegation, here is the Premier League Young Team of the Season.

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  GK | Arijanet Muric

  It’s been quite the season for Arijanet Muric. In between turning 20, choosing to play and then debuting for the Kosovo national team and winning the Premier League with Manchester City, the young goalkeeper was chosen by Pep Guardiola to be his first choice in the EFL Cup. Muric played five of City’s six games as they lifted the trophy, keeping four clean sheets, conceding just one goal and saving two penalties in their quarter-final victory over Leicester.

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  RB | Trent Alexander-Arnold

  There are a whole host of young, talented right-backs in the Premier League right now – but Crystal Palace’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Southampton’s Yan Valery only get honourable mentions thanks to Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Liverpool man has had a stellar campaign, registering an incredible 12 assists in the Premier League – the most of any defender. But the 20-year-old has been formidable defensively too, making 33 interceptions and winning 37 of his 57 tackles as the Reds fell just short of the title. 

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  CB | Juan Foyth

  Few managers nurture young talent as well as Mauricio Pochettino, so Tottenham Hotspur have a real star in the making in Juan Foyth. His season ended in reckless fashion after a red card at Bournemouth, but the 21-year-old has impressed otherwise. An accomplished passer who presents an aerial threat and also a versatile option with his ability to play at right-back, Foyth is also now a full Argentina international, making his debut in October.

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  CB | Joe Gomez

  Joe Gomez’s season was hampered by injury again this term, but he still showed why Liverpool are excited about his talent. The young defender has played an important part in the Reds’ season, with performances at home to Brighton and Red Star Belgrade particular highlights. He’s alternated between right-back and centre-back roles since moving to Anfield, but if his future is in the latter position with Alexander-Arnold in the former, both England and Liverpool should be licking their lips.

Aston Villa midfielder Ross Barkley is not having the best of times at the club recently and Jamie Redknapp has expressed his concerns over the player.

Redknapp discusses Barkley

Speaking on Sky Sports [via HITC], he said: “The fact that Grealish isn’t playing and he’s not still playing, it’s a worry for him. He’s got ability but when you go out on loan to a club it’s a big opportunity to show what you got. Showcase, this is what Chelsea will be missing. He’s obviously not doing enough. Now, he’s sitting on the bench and he’s waiting for his chance.”

The Englishman needs to step up

Villa manager Dean Smith has spoken highly of the player, calling him a ‘marquee signing’. Some may have expected Barkley would have come straight into the side when Jack Grealish picked up an injury, but Smith has favoured other options, including emerging academy star Jacob Ramsey. Barkley has had to be content with a substitute’s role in his last two games.

The Chelsea loanee has posed an attacking threat, managing 1.9 shots and 1.8 key passes per game (WhoScored). However he has only managed three goals and one assist, so it is understandable to see why Smith is looking at other options in his squad.

When he is next given a chance, the 27-year-old will have to be at his best if he wants to have a future either at Villa or at Chelsea. Redknapp is right to fear for Barkley, whose ineffectiveness has cost him his place in the side.

In other news, many Villa fans fumed at this ace in their match against Wolves!

The Reds are set for a clearout as the transfer window closes in the next fortnight – but who is on their way out of Anfield?

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  1Connor Randall – Defender

  This home-grown defender was on the bench for Klopp's first game as Liverpool boss, and made his debut soon after. He has been with the club's U-23 side this summer after returning from a productive loan spell with Hearts in Scotland, and looks set for a return north of the border. St Mirren, managed by former Everton boss Alan Stubbs, look the likeliest suitors. 

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• 2Pedro Chirivella – Midfielder

  The Spanish midfielder has played a handful of senior games for the Reds, but spent last season on loan at Willem II and will be allowed to leave if the right offer arrives. Both Swansea and Nottingham Forest have made enquiries, with Liverpool ready to demand as much as £5m if the deal is to be a permanent one. Chirivella, who was signed from Valencia back in 2014, is also well rated on the continent, with teams in the Netherlands and Spain also monitoring.

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  3Ben Woodburn – Midfielder

  There are people at Liverpool who believe this lad will play many, many games for the first team, but right now it looks as if his path is somewhat blocked at Anfield. Mind you, he's still only 18 and has a level-headed nature. He told Goal recently that he'll do whatever Klopp thinks best for him, and there is a growing feeling at Anfield that a loan move may be what he needs. Norwich and Sheffield United are the frontrunners, but there will be at least a dozen clubs that would take the Wales international. 

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  4Sheyi Ojo – Winger

  Another talented youngster, Ojo is attracting interest from pretty much the entire Championship having enjoyed a promising but ultimately frustrating spell at Fulham last season. The England U-20 World Cup winner has shown glimpses of his undoubted talent at Anfield, even during this pre-season campaign, but it's hard to see a path into the first team for him at present. Liverpool, who will use the fees paid for the likes of David Brooks, James Maddison and even Richarlison as barometers for the market, reckon they could get up to £15m ($20m) for him if they were to sell. They did so with Jordon Ibe, after all.

Back in January 2020, Ben Williamson put pen to paper on a new deal to extend his stay with Glasgow Rangers, keeping him at Ibrox until 2021.

Fast forward a year later, and Rangers farmed the highly-rated teenager out on loan at Scottish Championship club Arbroath after he agreed a further contract extension and he has thrived since his Ibrox exit.

On loan at Arbroath, Williamson has made quite the impression this season thus far. Having already featured in seven Championship games for Dick Campbell’s side so far this season, the 19-year-old is certainly making up for lost time.

Learning the ropes under Campbell’s tutelage, the Rangers loanee is starting to fulfil his untapped potential. As a player who ticks so many of the boxes needed to have a long and illustrious career at Ibrox, it’s notable to see how he continues to improve in his development as a player.

Against Queen of the South, in only his first of seven starts for the club so far, he was involved in nearly all of the action in the middle of the pitch, completing four successful dribbles from six attempts and recording a pass completion of 70%, via Wyscout. For context, even Steven Davis has only managed an average of 0.6 dribbles per 90 in the Scottish Premiership this season thus far, as per WhoScored.

However, with new arrivals such as Nnamdi Ofoborh and Bongani Zungu and the return of Ryan Jack, youngsters like Williamson and Stephen Kelly have been forced to move elsewhere in search of game time, which has raised question marks over their futures at the club.

But don’t let that fool you so easily. Rangers B-team coach Kevin Thomson recently singled Williamson out for special praise for the role he played in the 0-0 draw in the Glasgow Cup, which just goes to show just how highly he is rated by his boyhood club.

“I thought Ben Williamson was a mountain in the middle of the pitch as well doing the dirty work, the stuff that people don’t know but I know because I used to do it myself so I am delighted for the boys.”

His adopted club were also effusive in their praise for his “outstanding” performance following the 1-0 win over Raith Rovers on Saturday.

Therefore, whether he returns to Ibrox at the end of this season, where he would no doubt be welcomed with open arms by Rangers fans, or remains at Gayfield Park on loan for another few months, Williamson’s future looks bright and filled with so much promise, provided he can keep playing regularly at a decent level.

AND in other news, Rangers are leading the race to sign KV Oostende striker Fashion Sakala…

Liverpool’s injury woes look to have worsened after James Milner was forced off in the 3-1 defeat against Leicester City on Saturday, and the timing arguably could not be worse.

The Reds have endured a nightmare start to 2021 which has seen them drop off the top of the Premier League table and knocked out of the FA Cup by rivals Manchester United.

Whilst long-term injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip have made things extremely difficult for Jurgen Klopp’s side, it looks as if they will be providing a feeble defence to the title they won so impressively last season.

In their current rut, Klopp will be relying on his experienced players to help Liverpool get back to their best, with the likes of Jordan Henderson and Milner providing experience on the pitch and aiding the inexperienced backline.

Therefore, to lose Milner through injury ahead of the Champions League game against RB Leipzig is horrible timing for Klopp, as the midfielder has been a big part of the Reds’ success since joining on a free transfer from Manchester City in 2015.

Following the game against Leicester, Klopp revealed that the 35-year-old had an issue with his hamstring and that is why he was forced off at the King Power Stadium, and it seems likely, therefore, that he will miss the trip to Budapest on Tuesday evening.

Back in December 2018, Georginio Wijnaldum was full of praise for Milner after he reached 500 Premier League appearances, saying:

“It is [incredible to reach 500 Premier League games], and also that he is still so fit. He’s a machine.”

Therefore, it seems clear that Milner, who earns £140k per week at Liverpool, is a well respected by his teammates and is still a vital part of Klopp’s side despite his age, so it is undoubtedly a blow that he has suffered an injury and could miss some important upcoming fixtures.

And, in other news… LFC ace lost possession 45 times vs Leicester; he was so wasteful

Tottenham Hotspur could continue a worrying January trend amid reports linking them with a move for a Premier League outcast…

What’s the word?

According to ESPN journalist Rob Dawson, Spurs are among the teams that have registered an interest in signing Manchester United ace Jesse Lingard this month.

The 28-year-old has dropped down the pecking order at Old Trafford this season but Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is yet to make a decision over his immediate future, despite his contract expiring in 18 months time.

It’s claimed that Lingard is desperate for regular game time having only featured three times so far this campaign.

Lewis Holtby Mk. II

Daniel Levy’s record in the winter transfer window is hardly encouraging, to say the least. Prime examples ranging from the likes of Danny Murphy, Louis Saha and Ryan Nelsen of yesteryear to more recently, Gedson Fernandes.

And a move for Lingard would certainly fall into this bracket as he’s just not needed whatsoever.

In some ways, there are comparisons to be had to the £1.5m signing of Lewis Holtby in 2012/13. Despite Andre Villas-Boas having a wealth of attacking midfield options at his disposal, Levy still sanctioned a move for the German maestro.

In reality, he was never going to start matches over Christian Eriksen, Aaron Lennon, Nacer Chadli, Paulinho or Gylfi Sigurdsson. Indeed, in his first full season in N17, Holtby was restricted to only eight top-flight starts before being loaned out to Fulham.

Each of the aforementioned quintet all started at least 14 matches that year.

Lingard is quite versatile and is able to play both on the wing and in the middle, but these are two areas that Mourinho has a wealth of riches, particularly on the right flank where there are three players (Lucas Moura, Steven Bergwijn & Gareth Bale) vying for one starting place alone.

He’s unlikely to usurp either of Tanguy Ndombele, who bagged his third goal of the season on Sunday, or a fit Giovani Lo Celso, so it really would be a pointless move this January, thus adding to a long list of previous winter failings.

The 28-year-old only started nine times last campaign and managed a mediocre 0.9 key passes and 0.6 dribbles per game, via WhoScored, which would rank him behind Heung-min Son and Harry Kane for chances created, and behind eight other Spurs players in terms of being a threat from wide areas.

We know that Mourinho is a massive fan of Lingard from their time together at United. He once dubbed him “magic” whilst the 24-time England international enjoyed his best returns under the ‘Special One’ by providing 20 goals and 11 assists under his stewardship, more than any other Red Devils boss.

But despite all that, it would be a waste of money to swoop for the £90k-per-week misfit, he’d only go onto become another Holtby rather than the next Teddy Sheringham.

Levy must avoid this deal at all costs.

AND in other news, Forget Lingard: Mourinho should turn to teen prodigy with a “HUGE future”…