Manchester United will not let Harry Maguire leave the club during the January transfer window, despite West Ham’s interest..
Under Erik ten Hag, Maguire has slipped down the pecking order, starting only four Premier League games this season. Since returning from the World Cup, he has started just two of United’s eight games in all competitions, with Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez preferred alongside Raphael Varane.
According to Mirror Football, his lack of playing time has prompted West Ham to consider making a bid for the 29-year-old. The Hammers may lose Craig Dawson to Wolves and believe Maguire would be an adequate replacement..
According to BBC Sport, their approach was quickly rejected, as United did not even consider letting their club captain leave this month. Despite being benched recently, Ten Hag reportedly believes Maguire still has an important role to play for the team.
Jesse Lingard was signed on loan by the Hammers in January 2021 and scored nine goals in 16 Premier League games. West Ham paid Lingard’s wages in full and helped increase his value through regular game time, but he eventually left Old Trafford on a free transfer after United failed to sell him..
United paid £80 million to Leicester for Maguire in the summer of 2019, and recent reports suggest that they will have to sell in order to fund Ten Hag’s summer transfer plans. A loan spell in east London could help Maguire prepare for a summer move away from Old Trafford, but United are not interested..
United are still competing in the FA Cup, Carabao Cup, and Europa League, in addition to the Premier League. Ten Hag desires a deep squad to help him chart the best course through all four competitions.
Ten Hag started Varane and Martinez in United’s most recent Premier League game, a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night. In previous games, he used Shaw as a left-sided centre-back, with Tyrell Malacia filling in at left-back.
Maguire has played 90 minutes in this month’s 3-0 wins over Bournemouth and Charlton, but his game time is insufficient for the club captaincy. Bruno Fernandes has worn the captain’s armband in his absence.
Maguire recently revealed that he had been sick since returning from the World Cup. “When I got back from the World Cup, I had a bad illness, to be honest, and it knocked me back for one or two weeks,” he told ESPN.
“I’m feeling much better now. We have a lot of good center halves at this club, and there’s a lot of competition for positions, so I’ll keep fighting.”
United play Arsenal on Sunday before hosting Nottingham Forest in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday..
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