Jesse Lingard rejected a summer switch to West Ham because he wants to fight for his place at Manchester United, according to reports.
The Red Devils were said to be open to offers for the attacking midfielder, who thrived on loan at the London Stadium last season.
Lingard scored nine goals and provided four assists to help David Moyes' men secure a sixth-place finish in the Premier League.
West Ham were keen to bring him back to the club on a permanent basis before they completed the signing of Nikola Vlasic on transfer deadline day.
But it appears they only moved for the Croatia international after being turned down by Lingard.
According to 90min, the 28-year-old rejected the chance to join West Ham on a permanent basis.
Lingard informed the club that he did not want to join them before the transfer market closed for business.
The England international explained that he believes he still has a future at Manchester United, and he is determined to fight for a place in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side.
Lingard demonstrated his quality in the second half of last term, when he was one of the top-performing players in the Premier League.
Forcing his way into the United team will be difficult, though, with Solskjaer having added to his attacking options this summer.
Lingard will be competing for opportunities with the likes of Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial.
Given the strength of the competition at Old Trafford, United legend Gary Neville says he is disappointed that Lingard did not seek a fresh start elsewhere.
"I would actually have thought that a couple more players at Manchester United [would have left]. I’m disappointed for Jesse Lingard that he’s not left Manchester United," he told told Sky Sports.
"He’ll get a few games, he’ll get moments on the pitch, he’ll contribute, but I think he had something going at West Ham last year that meant Jesse Lingard in his own right was standing up as a really good player.
"To go back to being a squad player again I think, for me, is disappointing. I think you sometimes have to sort of fly the nest and go. I thought he’d already done that with what he did last year."
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