West Ham United have reportedly had a loan bid rejected for Manchester United defender Harry Maguire.
The England international has struggled for playing time this season, starting four of the 13 Premier League games where he has been included in the matchday squad.
Maguire has largely had to watch on from the bench, with Erik ten Hag opting to use Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane as his first-choice centre-back pairing.
Luke Shaw has also been deployed in central defence in recent games, while Victor Lindelof is also competing for a place in the backline.
Although Maguire has fallen down the pecking order Old Trafford, Ten Hag has decided to keep him on as club captain.
A recent report claimed that West Ham United were keen to offer Maguire an increase in minutes by taking him on loan.
With Craig Dawson linked with a potential departure, the Hammers are looking to bolster their backline during the current transfer window.
However, according to the Daily Mail, West Ham's loan enquiry has been rejected by the Red Devils, who are not prepared to let Maguire leave.
The report claims that with Man United competing in three cup competitions as well as the Premier League, Ten Hag believes that the 29-year-old still has a role to play this season.
Maguire, who has made 15 appearances in all competitions this season, will now be aiming to force his way into the starting lineup.
The 29-year-old has played the full 90 minutes in only two of Man United's competitive games since the resumption of club football following the World Cup break.
After playing the full duration of United's comfortable 3-0 EFL Cup win over Charlton Athletic last week, Maguire had to settle for a late substitute appearance in Saturday's derby victory over local rivals Manchester City.
Despite losing his place in the United side, Gareth Southgate kept faith with Maguire, starting him in all five of England's games at the 2022 World Cup.
Since joining the club from Leicester City in August 2019, Maguire has chipped in with seven goals and five assists across 159 appearances and he is under contract until 2025 with an option for a further year. body check tags ::
