Maguire’s Man Utd transfer HIJACK
Tom Hancock
- 8 Aug 2023 15:53 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United could see a bidding war for Harry Maguire develop after rejecting West Ham’s latest offer for the England centre-back.
The Hammers failed with a £60m double bid for Maguire and Scott McTominay, having previously fallen short with a £20m approach for Maguire alone.
But Man Utd seem likely to sell at the right price, with Erik ten Hag said to be targeting two more summer signings if the club can generate sufficient funds from transfers.
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According to The Independent, Everton are also interested in Maguire – who our in-house Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) model currently values at €23.5m (£20.2m).
Given United’s two rejections so far, though, it’s fair to say they are holding out for rather more than that for the 30-year-old.
Maguire joined Man Utd from Leicester for £80m (€87m) back in 2019, a fee which still stands among the highest ever paid for a defender.
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Ten Hag right behind Maguire
Another season littered with high-profile mistakes has seen him fall out of favour, though, with Ten Hag preferring Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof and even Luke Shaw at the heart of his back four.
Maguire was recently replaced by Bruno Fernandes as club captain – but his manager has backed him to regain his spot in the side. The Dutchman said:
“It’s nothing against Harry [stripping him of the captaincy]; it was an advantage for the team.
“Then you make the decision. But I will not say that Harry isn’t part of this group; he has to fight for his position.
“He is a very good centre-back, and I believe in the potential of Harry Maguire. It’s just that he has to prove himself and fight his way into the team. It’s up to him, and I think he can do it.”
