Maguire set to be offered January lifeline after Man Utd transfer ultimatum

14 October 2023 , 06:43

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West Ham are after Harry Maguire again (Image: Getty Images)

West Ham will try to sign Harry Maguire again in January - with the defender keen to secure his spot in England's Euro 2024 squad.

The Hammers failed to sign Maguire, 30, during the summer transfer window. The centre-back has struggled for minutes at Manchester Untied since Erik ten Hag was appointed as manager in May 2022 and made just one Premier League start this season.

Maguire wants to play more often and will be forced to seriously consider his future if he doesn't break back into United's starting XI before January. It'll be tricky for Gareth Southgate to select him for the Euros if he's not playing frequently.

A move to the London Stadium in January could reignite Maguire's career ahead of the tournament in Germany. It's believed West Ham are still keen on the former Leicester star and could swoop for him if the opportunity arises in the next transfer window.

As reported by ESPN, David Moyes is concerned about losing Kurt Zouma to Saudi Arabia in January. West Ham's captain, 28, is out of contract in June 2025 and the Public Investment Fund, who finance the Saudi Pro League, are keen on his services.

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It's unclear whether West Ham would make a loan or permanent bid for Maguire. The Englishman, who was stripped of the United captaincy by Ten Hag during the summer, recently explained why he didn't join the Hammers in the previous transfer window.

Maguire is trying to keep his place in the England squad (MICAH CROOK/PPAUK/REX/Shutterstock)

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Maguire said: "West Ham, it wasn't agreed really between both clubs and myself. It wasn't just my chance to say, 'Yes, I'm going'. It wasn't agreed between both clubs so the actual opportunity wasn't there because we didn't get far enough down the line with it."

Maguire also reiterated his desire to play more frequently. He added: "I am not going to sit here all my life and play once a month and if it carries on I am sure myself and the club will sit down and have a chat about things."

Southgate warned Maguire about his lack of minutes in June. The England boss said: "He will obviously be frustrated not to play as much as he would like but I think he has handled that really well, he has publicly talked well about supporting the team."

Southgate added: "It is then hard when that competition gets more even and you are not playing regularly to see their form, see their fitness so that is the challenge for everybody."

Tom Blow