Harry Maguire was recently stripped of the Manchester United captaincy by Erik ten Hag and must now decide whether to complete a summer transfer - with West Ham interested
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Football Digest: Harry Maguire stripped of Man Utd captaincy
Harry Maguire would prefer to play for a ‘bigger club’ than West Ham.
Maguire, 30, is the subject of a £20million bid from the Hammers. Manchester United, who paid £80m for the England international four years ago, have rejected the offer, but West Ham are expected to make another bid in the coming days.
Maguire started just eight times in the Premier League last season and was recently stripped of the captaincy by Erik ten Hag, with the Man Utd boss giving the armband to Bruno Fernandes. That ruthless decision has left the centre-back’s future in doubt.
It’s believed Maguire is surplus to requirements at Old Trafford due to the presence of Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw. Ten Hag may also give Jonny Evans a one-year contract once his short-term deal ends next month.
As reported by The Times, Maguire has told Ten Hag he wants to play for a ‘bigger club’ than West Ham. The Hammers are the Conference League champions and will play in the Europa League this season, but Man Utd are competing in the Champions League.
Man Utd have already rejected two bids from West Ham, with the first being a loan offer. The Hammers have plenty of cash to spend after selling Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105m, although that doesn’t mean they will pay over the odds for Maguire.
The former Leicester defender’s wages are thought to be an issue for West Ham, as he earns £200,000-a-week and still has two years remaining on his contract. It’s believed Man Utd want £50m for Maguire, which could prove too expensive for West Ham.
Harry Maguire was stripped of the Manchester United captaincy (
Image:
William Volcov/REX/Shutterstock)
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Although Ten Hag recently claimed Maguire is an “important” member of his squad, he will be allowed to leave for the right price. Yet the Man Utd boss is also happy to keep Maguire at Old Trafford as a reserve for Varane, Martinez and Lindelof.
Ten Hag said: “It is disappointing for a player, but it (losing the captaincy) can actually work out well for the team and for Harry… He stays an important player. He can fight himself into the team. He has potential and it’s up to him to get his position.
“Now he can focus more on his role, but a centre-back has to communicate and organise. It’s a big area where you have to perform as a centre-half.”
Man Utd’s record scorer Wayne Rooney has urged Maguire to leave the club. Rooney struggled for minutes during his final season at Old Trafford, despite being the captain. “The best thing now is probably for him to move,” he told The Athletic.
“To have the armband taken off you, how does he move forward with the club? That shows the manager really doesn’t believe in him… Harry will want to go and play - for himself, for his England career - to put himself in the best position to be as successful as he can.”
