In a surprising turn of events, Manchester United may find themselves making a hefty pay-off of up to £10 million to facilitate Harry Maguire’s move to West Ham.
Despite initially rejecting bids of £20 million, the Red Devils have agreed to sell the talented defender to the Hammers in a deal worth £30 million.
Maguire is now set to travel to London for talks, with personal terms expected to be easily resolved. West Ham manager, David Moyes, holds a deep admiration for the England international and considers him a key asset to the team.
However, Maguire will likely have to accept lower wages than what he is currently earning at Old Trafford. With two years remaining on his current contract, which is valued at a reported £190,000-per-week, the 30-year-old will face a reduction in earnings.
In comparison, West Ham’s top earner, Lucas Paqueta, earns roughly £150,000-per-week. It is anticipated that Maguire will be offered a long-term contract with a weekly wage of £100,000.
According to the Daily Mail, in order to complete the transfer, Erik ten Hag’s side, where Maguire previously served as club captain, might compensate him with a sum just shy of £10 million to cover the remainder of his United contract.
This move signifies an end to Maguire’s eventful four-year tenure at Manchester United, during which he became the world’s most expensive defender following his £80 million transfer from Leicester in 2019.
With the arrival of Ten Hag as manager last year, Maguire gradually lost his place in the starting lineup to Lisandro Martinez, restricting him to only eight Premier League starts last season.
While Ten Hag expressed admiration for Maguire’s abilities throughout the campaign, the defender’s inconsistent performances and a desire for a faster, younger alternative cast doubts over his future with the club.
Losing the club captaincy to Bruno Fernandes this summer served as further confirmation of Ten Hag’s intention to move on from Maguire.
As a result, Manchester United has initiated the process of signing a replacement, with Jean-Clair Todibo and Benjamin Pavard emerging as the frontrunners for the role.