West Ham United could soon launch their bid to sign Jesse Lingard permanently...

What's the word?

The 28-year-old loan sensation was snubbed from Gareth Southgate's England squad for the upcoming European Championships, which means the Irons can now strike early with their attempts to keep him at the London Stadium.

That's according to fansite Claret & Hugh, who relayed fresh information from an inside source, who subsequently revealed a teasing update on the matter.

They said:

"It’s very much in Jesse’s hands with only a year left on his deal. He loved his time at the club and it’s been made clear to him the club want him at the London Stadium – now the talking will have to start!"

Get it done, Sullivan

Lingard has been a major hit in East London as his nine goals and five assists have helped steer the club from relegation candidates to becoming a Europa League outfit in the space of just one season.

He has provided David Moyes with a key source of creativity behind Michail Antonio, whilst also playing up top when the injury-prone striker has been faced with a spell on the sidelines.

Despite only joining the Hammers in January, the Manchester United star rated out as their second-best player (7.22) for the whole campaign, as per WhoScored, with Tomas Soucek (7.36) being the only man to beat him.

In terms of attacking output, Lingard was clear of several teammates, registering a squad-high 2.6 shots, whilst his 1.1 key passes per game were the highest of any central or forward option.

His form at West Ham has caught the eye of many pundits and former professionals, too.

During one game against Leeds, ex-Arsenal striker Ian Wright told Premier League Productions (via HITC) that Lingard was "devastating" and "a problem"  whilst Rio Ferdinand dubbed him "intelligent" and "amazing" to the FIVE podcast.

The £20m-rated dynamo has quickly become a fan-favourite at the London Stadium, with many supporters absolutely desperate to see him remain at the club after such a fruitful loan spell.

However, some reports have since raised doubt that he could stay, with the Daily Mail claiming that West Ham may struggle to commit to his wage demands.

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Fans haven't been alone in their desire to keep Lingard at the Irons, either, as Moyes made his intentions very clear following the final game of the 2020/21 season.

"I hope Jesse’s here, we’d like to keep him, he’s done an exceptional job for us but there's no guarantees, he’s not our player," claimed Moyes (via the Evening Standard). "But I hope Jesse realises we’ve been good for him as well, and that he joined a club on the up."

If his snub from the England squad is actually a boost to the chances of sealing him sooner rather than later, then many in East London will be absolutely buzzing with this news.

David Sullivan and co absolutely must now push ahead with these plans. The door has opened for them to pull off a remarkable piece of business before next season, they must get it done.

AND in other news, ExWHUemployee drops update on David Moyes after SHOCK links to Everton...