Manchester United shut exit door for Harry Maguire after West Ham lose interest | Football News
Manchester United have reportedly changed their mind regarding the transfer of Harry Maguire. The English defender looked set to make a move this summer, with another Premier League outfit West Ham United showing interest. A recent report by The Guardian has now claimed that Manchester United have informed Maguire that he is not allowed to leave Old Trafford in the summer transfer window, which is scheduled to close on September 1.
West Ham first expressed their desire to rope in Maguire when they submitted a joint bid for him and Scott McTominay earlier this month. The East London club was ready to sign a £60 million deal (£30 million each) to secure the signings of the Manchester United duo. Manchester United turned down the offer for McTominay, demanding an additional fee of £15 million. They did agree to the sum for Maguire, whose current contract will expire in 2025.
West Ham began negotiations with Maguire but could not finalise personal terms owing to the Englishman’s hefty salary. As per his existing contract with Manchester United, Maguire has a weekly salary of around £190,000, which is not affordable for the Hammers. So, he needed to accept a wage cut to confirm his move. Maguire made up his mind to do that but demanded a pay-off to compensate the amount.
Earlier, a Mirror report said that West Ham prepared a contract for Maguire that would see him earn around £120,000 per week, almost £70,000 lower than his present weekly wage. The defender stuck to his demand for a £7 million payoff. Due to this standoff, West Ham turned their back on Maguire, while beginning the search for another option in central defence. West Ham succeeded in the task last week when they completed the signing of Greece defender Konstantinos Mavropanos from Stuttgart.
Maguire shifted his base to Old Trafford from Leicester City in August 2019 for a world-record fee of £80 million. He failed to match the expectations at Old Trafford. The situation got worse after Erik ten Hag took over the coaching responsibility last summer. During last season, Maguire could find a place in Manchester United’s starting line-up in only eight Premier League games.
Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez were the preferred central defenders in Ten Hag’s first XI. The Dutchman even removed Maguire from captain’s role earlier during the pre-season campaign, with Bruno Fernandes replacing the defender as the new skipper. Ten Hag has reportedly sent a stern notice to Maguire, saying he will need to fight to become a starter if he continues to stay at Old Trafford.
Getting regular game-time is key for Maguire to keep his place secured in the England squad. England manager Gareth Southgate had confessed that it would be tough to back Maguire up if the defender carried on being on the bench at Manchester United.
