Harry Maguire misses out on West Ham move after lengthy delay

Harry Maguire and a potential move to West Ham looks to have hit a significant snag. This comes even after the Hammers previously agreed to a $38 million fee to sign the defender. Despite all three sides wanting the deal to get done, there is still an issue between Maguire and Manchester United.

The Guardian is reporting that the center back is looking for a payout from the Red Devils. As the club qualified for this season’s Champions League, players were given a boost in salary. This means that even Maguire received a massive raise for the 2023/24 campaign. Because of the stipulation, the news outlet claims that the England international wants nearly $9 million from United to leave the team.

Red Devils would need to reinvest in position

United has been hoping to sell Maguire for a hefty fee to help raise significant funds. As many top Premier League sides typically carry at least four central defenders, the club would have to reinvest in the position should Maguire leave. Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof are currently the top-three players in this position’s pecking order.

The disagreement between Maguire and United seems to be the only problem with the transfer. West Ham has already agreed personal terms with the center back ahead of his proposed move. Maguire was taking a significant pay cut to move to east London. Nevertheless, the Hammers are now looking elsewhere in their search for a defender.

West Ham pursues other defender options amid Harry Maguire stall

With the Maguire deal now put on the back burner, West Ham will look at other options. The recent Europa Conference League champions are watching Bayer Leverkusen duo Jonathan Tah and Odilon Kossounou. Tah has links with a plethora of Premier League teams in recent years. Kossounou, on the other hand, is a younger player currently on the rise.

West Ham has already signed two central midfielders to help ease the pain of Declan Rice’s move to Arsenal. However, they will need to continue investing in the squad if they want to improve on a disappointing 2022/23 Premier League season. The Hammers opened their current campaign with a 1-1 draw away to Bournemouth on Saturday.

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