Gareth Ainsworth has said Wycombe Wanderers will be doing everything within their power to keep Alfie Mawson at the club.

The defender has been a key figure in Blues’ assault on the League Two automatic promotion spots this season after signing on loan from Brentford just hours before the first game of the campaign against Newport.

He then had his deal extended until January in September before he signed on until the end of the season.

Ainsworth said: “The best players will be staying. In my mind I will do everything I possibly can to keep Alfie. We’ll see how that goes; it’s going to be a difficult one.

“It will be a tough one to pull off. He’s been an important member of the squad this season. It’s difficult for loan players. They do so well and then their parent clubs then think ‘oh, we didn’t fancy him what do we do?’ “We’re up against a lot but we are trying, and that’s all I can say without going into details about what we do, which I wouldn’t do anyway.

“We are trying everything to keep our best players, and that includes everyone Aflie, Danny Rowe, Fred. For as long as we possibly can we’ll be trying to keep them.”