West Ham United are reportedly interested in signing Manchester United defender Harry Maguire on loan until the end of the season.
The England international, 29, has lost his starting spot at Manchester United this season under Erik ten Hag. The recent surprise emergence of Luke Shaw as a potential temporary option at centre-back has further pushed him down the defensive pecking order.
According to the Daily Mirror, West Ham could provide Harry Maguire with an escape route out of Manchester United, with manager David Moyes keen for defensive reinforcements. Man United are ready to sell their skipper in the summer, as there are doubts about his future at Old Trafford beyond with Ten Hag set to reinvest in his squad, the report adds.
Maguire has started just one of Man United’s four Premier League wins since the 2022 World Cup, where he was a mainstay in the England defence under Gareth Southgate. He did start the club’s Carabao Cup quarter-final victory over Charlton Athletic last week, but returned to the bench during the comeback derby win over Man City at the weekend.
Harry Maguire to West Ham—Can he solve the Hammers’ defensive woes?
One of West Ham’s prime reasons for enduring such an awful campaign is their poor defence. Truly, they have not been tight and robust defensively as compared to a previous couple of campaigns, conceding 25 goals in 19 Premier League games thus far.
Injuries to key players at the back have led to a lot of chopping and changing of personnel, thereby, hampering the continuity on the pitch. Plus, David Moyes has been forced to weigh up options in central defence with Wolves targeting one of their current centre-backs, Craig Dawson.
Dawson, who is valued at around £7million, remains eager to return from east London to the Midlands having already played for West Brom. The Hammers are bracing for Dawson’s exit with Wolves set to return for talks after seeing a bid turned down, and Harry Maguire fits the criteria perfectly for a potential replacement.
Maguire may apparently not be good enough to start games for Ten Hag’s Man United but he certainly has the qualities to marshal the West Ham troops from the back. He has been criticised for his performances over the last 15 to 18 months by the fans and pundits alike, but the 29-year-old showed he still has got a lot to offer at the highest level with his World Cup displays for England.
Were Harry Maguire to arrive at West Ham, he would bring volumes of Premier League experience with him, as well as international pedigree. Plus, the England international would certainly bolster the Hammers’ rearguard, whilst helping lighten some of the injury concerns that Moyes currently has in his backline.
However, with Man United still alive in all four competitions, it remains to be seen whether Ten Hag green-lights a loan move for Harry Maguire.