Danny Ings was the subject of an inquiry from Manchester United in the club’s January window search for a Premier League proven goalscorer who could hit the ground running - but Southampton have been clear he was not for sale.

Ings, 27, has been the driving force behind Southampton’s battle up the table with 14 league goals, 13 since the end of September, including winners this month against Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City. He joined the club on a season’s loan from Liverpool in the summer of 2018 with an additional three-year contract that will have two seasons to run at the end of the current campaign.

It means that the striker, who is a favourite to be recalled by Gareth Southgate for England’s March friendlies, will have a decision to make this summer with a new contract likely to be offered by the club set against options of a move elsewhere. United’s inquiry was part of the club’s search for a player who could come in the January window after the seriousness of the injury to Marcus Rashford was established.

As Telegraph Sport reported on Friday, United also made an inquiry about Bournemouth’s Josh King, a former trainee at United who had worked with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in his days in charge of what was then the club’s Under-21s side. Southampton have been unwilling to entertain any suggestion that Ings, who has 16 goals in all competitions this season, could leave this window. United have not pushed further and expect to look elsewhere to supplement their forward options on deadline day.

Ings was previously of interest to United when he left Burnley on a free transfer in the summer of 2015. In the February of that year, he scored Burnley’s only goal at Old Trafford in a 3-1 defeat. Eventually that summer Ings joined Liverpool, Southampton’s opponents at Anfield on Saturday, with a fee of £6.5 million rising to £8 million, set by tribunal.