Manchester United must avoid repeating Jesse Lingard mistake with three players this summer

As the walls started to cave in on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's tenure as Manchester United manager last November, supporters and journalists alike started to pick out names that might benefit from a changing of the guard.

While Donny van de Beek — who will be aiming to rekindle his career under former mentor Erik ten Hag — was a popular choice for many, Jesse Lingard was also mentioned. Following a blistering loan spell at West Ham in the second half of the 2020/21 Premier League campaign, scoring nine goals and grabbing five assists in just 16 appearances, the attacking midfielder returned to Old Trafford with his career at a crossroads.

He was either going to become a key figure in Solskajer's plans, or be allowed to leave United on a permanent deal, with his stock at the highest level it had been at in years. West Ham were desperate to sign him on a permanent basis and it seemed a matter of 'when' rather 'if' he would return to the London Stadium.

READ MORE: Erik ten Hag and Steve McClaren are already changing standards at Manchester United

Solskjaer, though, sold him a false promise, insisting that he would be a regular fixture in his plans for the 2021/22 campaign. By the time Solskjaer was sacked on November 21 — less than 24 hours after a humiliating 4-1 defeat to Watford —Lingard had made just seven appearances in league and cup, with all six of his Premier League appearances coming from the substitutes bench.

Despite stepping off the bench to score against Newcastle and West Ham, it was clear that Solskjaer had not stuck to his word; Lingard was back to being a bit-part player, just months after he had lit up the Premier League in extraordinary fashion with West Ham.

United's decision to refuse to cash-in on him in