Harry Maguire wants to fight for his place and stay at Manchester United amid interest coming from West Ham United this month.
According to ESPN, West Ham United may fail to sign Harry Maguire this month as the operation would prove difficult for the Hammers to conclude. The Manchester United defender wants to stay and fight for his place, while the Red Devils do not wish to lose a senior figure mid-season.
West Ham United continue languishing in a difficult spot in the Premier League table. Positive results have been hard to come by for David Moyes, and a few more disappointing outcomes might put him under tremendous pressure.
The Hammers now want to bring in new players, particularly a centre-back and a striker. They have already tied up a deal to sign Danny Ings from Aston Villa and will continue to look for a central defender. A few options got mentioned recently, but talks over them have not been near advanced.
Chris Smalling is a target for Moyes, but the former Manchester United defender may only arrive in the summer. Moreover, Craig Dawson could depart from the London Stadium this month. His departure would see West Ham lose an experienced head from their squad. Harry Maguire could become a possible target, but the operation would prove difficult to execute.
This season, the Manchester United defender is enduring a difficult time at the club. He is effectively their fifth-choice centre-back this season after Erik ten Hag’s system became clearer. The manager has preferred to operate with a left-footed defender on the left flank, with Victor Lindelof ahead of Maguire in the pecking order.
Since the restart after the World Cup break, ten Hag has used Luke Shaw when Lisandro Martinez has been absent. Maguire is facing a difficult time at Manchester United, having made only two starts since the end of August. Many clubs are thus monitoring his situation, with some interested in approaching the 29-year-old.
West Ham United are keen to make a loan approach for the English centre-back but know there are many difficulties in getting the deal done. For one, Manchester United do not want to lose a senior figurehead mid-season, particularly when they could become title contenders.
These are contrasting reports from November when Manchester United were reportedly considering selling him. Secondly, Maguire wants to fight for his place despite falling down the pecking order. If the decision is true, then it will come as a blow for West Ham and their plan to sign the 29-year-old.
Maguire will remain at the club despite his lowly place in ten Hag’s plans. As for West Ham, they might have to look for alternatives to the Manchester United captain with the window shutting shop in under two weeks.