Jesse Lingard "has his swag back", according to Bruno Fernandes, who has claimed that the Manchester United loanee is the "best player in the Premier League" right now.
Lingard was sent out on loan to West Ham in January after falling down the squad pecking order at United, and has rediscovered his best form under David Moyes at the London Stadium.
Fernandes, who was one of the players keeping the England international out of the Red Devils team, thinks Lingard has been the leading performer in the top flight over the last few months and says that everyone at Old Trafford has been delighted by his progress.
What's been said?
“If you see Jesse, I think Jesse, at the moment, if you watch the last 10 games, has been top, top, top level,” the United playmaker told MUTV. "For me, if you watch the last 10 games, he’s been the best player in the Premier League, scoring and assists in every game.
"Everyone here is really, really happy for him. He has confidence back, he has his swag back, because he is feeling confident. We are really, really happy for what he’s doing."
Lingard's record at West Ham
Lingard scored two goals on his debut for West Ham in a 3-1 win over Aston Villa on February 3, and has since established himself as a mainstay in Moyes' starting XI.
The 28-year-old has gone on to score eight more in his subsequent 12 Premier League outings, while also providing three assists, helping the Hammers rise to fifth in the table.
Where will Lingard play next season?
Lingard is due to return to Old Trafford at the end of the 2020-21 campaign, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer having already insisted that he will be welcomed back at Old Trafford with open arms.
However, it has also been reported that West Ham are eager to sign the playmaker outright and Goal has learned that he has yet to make a final decision on his future.
What else did Fernandes say?
Fernandes also named nine other players when asked who he sees as the main contenders for the PFA Player of the Year award.
"Kevin De Bruyne is one of the best for me. If we go to the Liverpool squad, for example, I think [Mohamed] Salah, if you say he’s playing well or not, he’s still scoring goals," he added. "Harry Kane is still doing really well in the Tottenham team, for example. I think Raphinha of Leeds is doing very well. It’s difficult to choose one.
"[Ilkay] Gundogan, from the half of the season from December, started doing really well. Ruben Dias has come from Benfica and been consistent since he arrived [at Manchester City].
"I really like Mason Mount – he’s been consistent from the beginning of the season. [Jack] Grealish, before his injuries, was being really, really good. I think [Patrick] Bamford from Leeds is also scoring a lot of goals, 14 I think this season already [now 15 in the Premier League], which is really good."
