Harry Maguire put it out there- don’t believe all that you read and hear. He claims that the popular narrative that he was set to join West Ham United, with a potential deal in place between the two clubs is, is simply not true. The widespread belief, due to the prevalent reporting at the time, is that Maguire shot down the deal which had been struck, due to his having to take a massive pay cut, in order to move to East London.
The story went that he would rather stay put and ride the bench, all the while continuing to get paid handsomely, instead of making a switch to the Irons, where playing time would increase.
Regular game time is really important to me, it has been throughout all my career,” he said while with the England national team this international break.
The actual opportunity to go to West Ham wasn’t really agreed between both clubs and myself, so it wasn’t just my chance to say ‘yes’ and I’m doing. The actual opportunity wasn’t there because we didn’t get far enough down the line with it. West Ham are a massive club, my focus is still on Manchester United. I want to fight for my place, but, of course, game time is really important to me.”
Transfer rumors, in general, are often total nonsense and garbage. Sometimes transfer narratives are partially true, but not really, so it’s hard to say who was really telling the truth. It is quite easy to believe Maguire here.
Nevertheless he remains an outcast in the United squad, and as the man who broke the transfer fee record for a defender when he was signed in 2018, one of the biggest flops in United history. Maybe it is not totally fair to call Harry Maguire the new Phil Jones, but it is easy to understand why so many do.
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.