Manchester United know that they need to cut their losses on Harry Maguire. The very embattled central defender is indeed a sunk cost to the club.
However, they would like to try and recoup as much as they can of the £80m they paid Leicester City for the English international in 2019.
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West Ham are interested, but they are still far short of United’s price tag.
According to London World, the Hammers made United a £20 million offer, and “The bid was instantly rejected with United looking for a fee of around £35million for the centre-back.”
This was a follow up on the initiative taken by the east London club in January, when they attempted to secure Slab Head from MUFC on loan.
Irons boss David Moyes is said to be very keen on Harry Maguire, who was recently stripped of the captaincy at United.
The new Red Devils captain is Bruno Fernandes. Getting back to Moyes, apparently, he will do what it takes to get Harry Maguire in his squad for the upcoming season.
United are keen on letting him go, but again, they need to get some of their money back, in hopes of trying to somewhat balance their summer transfer window budget.
United have been very slow this summer in selling off surplus players, with Anthony Elanga and Alex Telles the only departures so far.
Harry Maguire is definitely dead weight on the roster, so if they could get a big chunk of cash for him, it would be a win-win-win situation.
The two sides have a little over a month to reach an agreement and figure out a deal.
United open up against Wolverhampton Wanderers on August 14 while the Hammers raise the curtain on their season against AFC Bournemouth on August 12.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.