West Ham are lining up an offer for Manchester United captain Harry Maguire, according to the Daily Telegraph.
The Hammers now have the funds to finance moves for their summer transfer targets following the £105m sale of midfielder Declan Rice.
Maguire has been identified by the club as a top option to strengthen their defence, but fans on Twitter are less than convinced that he would be a worthwhile addition to the squad:
Oh dear God no.
— MG (@arnau1700) July 15, 2023
I hope this is not true 😂
— Gary Barnett (@GaryBarnettetc) July 15, 2023
25-30m is MAX we should be going to.
— GT.⚒️ (@gingerrtom) July 15, 2023
Yeah we are gonna get relegated 🤣🤣🤣
— Justin ⚒️ (@Whu_Justin) July 15, 2023
please no 😩
— John Lewis (@johnlewiscoyi) July 15, 2023
WHY
— Lynda M Lynch (@Hammer50_4ever) July 15, 2023
25 million at MOST
— Bigman (@Bigman82699776) July 15, 2023
Maguire could perform well in a back three
The defender has been regularly criticised for his performances in a Manchester United shirt, especially over the past couple of seasons. His lack of pace can be his undoing and it is regularly exposed with the Red Devils playing a back four.
However, for England, where Maguire slots into a back three in most games, he is more comfortable, and you can see why Irons boss David Moyes would be interested in signing him if he is to be used used in a similar way.
West Ham should be careful not to overspend
Other reports have claimed that United have slapped a £40m price tag on Maguire, which seems very high for a player who is now 30 years of age, and no longer first choice for his club.
The fact that the Hammers do have money burning in their pocket following Rice’s sale will lead to some teams trying to take advantage by asking for extortionate sums for their players, so the club will need to be wise to that in negotiations for the likes of Maguire and others.
