West Ham United’s pursuit of Manchester United’s centre-back Harry Maguire seems to have hit a dead-end as the London club is reportedly unlikely to table an improved offer.
The Hammers had shown interest in the 30-year-old defender and tested the waters with a £20m opening bid to the Red Devils. However, the bid was swiftly rejected, as Man United values the England international at over £40m.
Despite initial suggestions that West Ham might return with a better offer, The Mirror reports that David Moyes’s side has decided against it.
The stumbling blocks include Man United’s valuation of Maguire and the player’s hefty £200,000-a-week wages, which pose financial challenges for the London club.
Furthermore, Maguire’s reluctance to join West Ham presents another obstacle. The centre-back is believed to be open to joining a “bigger club” if he decides to leave Old Trafford.
Clubs like Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United have all been linked with an interest in Maguire during the summer transfer window. However, a move to Chelsea seems unlikely as they are reportedly set to sign Monaco’s centre-back Axel Disasi.
Harry Maguire joined Manchester United in 2019 for a record fee of £80m from Leicester City. Over the past four years, he has made 175 appearances across all competitions.
However, his playing time has decreased since the arrival of manager Erik ten Hag, with just eight Premier League appearances in the last season. Ten Hag has preferred other defenders, including Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof, and Luke Shaw.
Despite speculation surrounding his future, Ten Hag has emphasized that Maguire remains an “important” member of the first-team squad.
With the potential move to West Ham off the table, David Moyes is now expected to focus on other top summer targets, particularly midfielders. This is in light of Declan Rice’s departure to Arsenal for £105m.
West Ham is believed to have faced rejections for bids on Fulham’s Joao Palhinha and Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher.
Additionally, talks have been held to sign Manchester United’s Scott McTominay, Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, Juventus’ Denis Zakaria, and Ajax’s Edson Alvarez.