Roland Cutinho
West Ham inching closer to signing Manchester United star Harry Maguire in a £30 million deal
According to The Athletic [subscription required] (h/t Fabrizio Romano), West Ham United are said to have reached an agreement with Manchester United to sign centre-back Harry Maguire this summer.
The Red Devil were accepting offers for the defender during this ongoing transfer window, and they have also recently removed him from the position of club captain.
Over the summer, United introduced three new additions to their team: Andre Onana, Rasmus Hojlund, and Mason Mount.
Their current focus has shifted towards selling players who are no longer considered part of the club’s future plans.
Maguire was made available for transfer, leading West Ham to indicate their desire to acquire the English defender.
Despite facing rejections for multiple offers for the former Leicester City player, an agreement has been reached between the two clubs.
The Hammers’ offer of £30 million for Maguire has been approved by the Red Devils. Initially, the experienced player was not a serious target for David Moyes, and the 30-year-old expressed his intention to stay and compete for a spot in Erik ten Hag’s starting lineup.
Nevertheless, West Ham seems to have persuaded the Englishman regarding their vision, as it seems that reaching an agreement on personal terms won’t pose a problem.
Maguire needed to play regularly to solidify his position on the national team. Gareth Southgate had made it clear that his position in England’s national team could be compromised if he didn’t secure consistent playing time at Man United.
West Ham seems to have acted swiftly to come to an agreement, especially with other clubs expressing interest in Maguire. As per The Mirror, Everton have also shown interest in the defender.
If the centre-back moves to London Stadium, United are set to suffer a £50m loss on the defender, considering his record-breaking transfer from Leicester City in 2019 that made him the costliest defender in history.
In the previous season, Maguire fell through the pecking order as he was displaced from the starting lineup by Lisandro Martinez, frequently partnering with Raphael Varane.
Nevertheless, given his advancing age, diminishing performance levels, and overall mismatch with Ten Hag’s gameplay, the team might consider minimising their losses rather than being obligated to pay high wages for a player who could arguably be their fifth-choice centre-back.
In this context, West Ham’s resolute pursuit of Maguire could actually benefit United. This could help them sign new players and also consider a quality replacement for their former captain.
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The English star might also get a completely different atmosphere to play in and revive his career, which has been met with severe criticism from fans and pundits.
