BREAKING: West Ham have bid rejected for Harry Maguire after Man United captaincy stripping

West Ham have tabled a £20 million bid for Manchester United's out of favour defender Harry Maguire but have seen it rejected by the club.

Maguire struggled for gametime under Erik ten Hag last season following the arrival of Lisandro Martinez and the Dutchman made the decision to strip him of the captaincy, a role he had held since January 2020 when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer handed him the responsibility.

Instead, Bruno Fernandes was appointed as permanent captain after wearing the armband for large parts of the 2022/23 campaign.

Maguire is not actively seeking an exit and is determined to fight for his place at United but West Ham are interested in offering him regular football.

With cash to splash after offloading skipper Declan Rice to Arsenal for a record £105 million, David Ornstein of The Athletic reports the Europa Conference League winners have submitted an offer for the England international but it has been turned down by United, who are said to value him at £40 million.

Newcastle United and Spurs have also been touted as potential suitors for Maguire, who is contracted at Old Trafford until 2025.

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West Ham are unlikely to follow up with a second bid given the hefty salary Maguire would command and the fact he still feels as though he can play a part at United.

Speaking on his placement in the squad, Ten Hag said: "He's an important player, we need four centre-backs minimum you have seen last season we play so many games and we are really pleased to have Harry in our squad."

The 30-year-old has been with the 13-time Premier League winners in their pre-season tour of the United States but has been subjected to jeers and even abuse from his own supporters.

Maguire signed for the Red Devils in a blockbuster £80 million move from Leicester City in 2019 and has made 175 appearances, scoring seven times.