28 July 2023 , 16:55
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West Ham have seen a £20m bid for Harry Maguire rejected by Manchester United and are unlikely to return with a fresh offer.
The defender cost the Red Devils £80m back in the summer of 2019 but has fallen out of favour under Erik ten Hag and has been linked with the exit door after losing the captaincy. The Hammers have made a cut-price move for the defender - but that has been immediately rejected by Old Trafford bosses.
It has been claimed that the Hammers are unsure whether they'll return with a fresh bid. It's also understood that Maguire is willing to fight for his United future, while his salary demands also pose a problem. David Moyes has a hefty transfer budget following the £105m sale of Declan Rice and is seeking new faces.
The Hammers boss told Sky Sports on potential arrivals: “Because of the shortness of the summer and being in Australia, the amount of time we have had together has been limited, but I’m sure we’ll get down to work and do what we have to do. The club have made several offers for players. We are out in the market. We are quite active. Hopefully some of them will come off in the future.”
The England centre-half had retained the faith of previous managers despite error-strewn displays, but was quickly dropped by Ten Hag. Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane have established themselves as the first-choice pair.
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Victor Lindelof too is ahead of Maguire in the pecking order, but the defender could yet push for more involvement this season. Ten Hag has cast doubt over whether the former Leicester man would opt to remain in the north west.
The defender was limited to a squad role last term (Getty Images)He previously told the Times : "Let's say I'm happy he's here and when we needed him he did his job. But it's also a decision he has to make." The Dutchman also added: "No one would be happy with this situation. He is not as well."
West Ham claimed Europa Conference League glory last term but struggle domestically and only mathematically secured their top flight status in May. Moyes has regularly picked the likes of Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna at the heart of defence.
Maguire's fall from grace in Manchester has not hampered his England ambitions and he remains a favourite under Gareth Southgate. Next summer the European Championships will be held in Germany and the defender will need minutes to continue to highlight his value.