West Ham likely to pull out of negotiations for Manchester United defender

West Ham United are looking to splash some of their Declan Rice money around, but they have yet to do so. The club has been linked to many targets, such as James Ward-Prowse, Conor Gallagher and Scott McTominay. They aren’t only looking at midfielders, though. One very interesting target for the club is Manchester United’s Harry Maguire. The English International has just lost the captain’s armband at United and is no longer seen as regular under Erik ten Hag.

While Harry Maguire will not be forced out of Manchester, the club would likely cash in on him at the right price. The only problem with that is it is unlikely any club will pay for what Manchester United would like to recoup on a Maguire transfer. David Ornstein of The Athletic is reporting that United have just turned down a £20m bid from West Ham for Harry Maguire. Importantly, Ornstein states that West Ham are likely to drop their interest in the defender as there are concerns over wages with Maguire. Clubs knowing West Ham have the cash to spend is likely making it difficult for them to get their targets at bargain prices.

David Moyes would like to bring Maguire to East London, but it is believed he wants to stay at Manchester United. From West Ham’s perspective, if your target is not keen on leaving his current club for you, it’s probably time to turn your head elsewhere. It’ll be interesting to see what sort of playing time Maguire will get this season under ten Hag. He obviously won’t be a regular starter, as those roles will be occupied by Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane. Erik ten Hag will likely want to often start that duo in the Champions League, which could open up Maguire to some minutes in the Premier League.