Reports indicate that West Ham have reached an agreement with Manchester United to sign Harry Maguire. The English center-back has recently been stripped of the Red Devils' captaincy and the club is desperate to cash in on his services. United have already welcomed three new signings during this transfer window- Andre Onana, Rasmus Hojlund and, Mason Mount. Priority is now shifting to offloading senior players who no longer have a future at United. Maguire was also ‘put up for sale’, with West Ham promptly registering an interest in signing the England international. After United reportedly knocked off several bids for the ex-Leicester City star, a deal has finally been struck between the two clubs. West Ham’s £ 30 million bid for Maguire has now been accepted.

The England player was at first reluctant to join West Ham and his opinion was to stay at United and fight for his place in Erik Ten Hag's starting eleven. However, the Hammers appear to have convinced the 30-year-old of their project as personal terms are no longer expected to be an issue. England national team manager Gareth Southgate is said to have been in contact with Maguire and indicated to him that failing to play regularly for United will impact his place in England’s international squad with the Euro 2024 just around the corner. Everton were also keen on the defender and were considering launching a bid to secure his services but West Ham appear to have pounced to reach an agreement, with other clubs emerging that also hold an interest in Maguire. 

Ten Hag is desperate to bolster his midfield ranks and a swap deal was expected to be proposed that would see Amadou Onana leave Goodison Park to head in the opposite direction. However, the option now appears to be off the table and United will have to launch a separate bid for Onana's services. The Red Devils can also turn their attention to alternative targets, such as Fiorentina star Sofyan Amrabat. Manchester could be set to negotiate further with West Ham during this transfer window as the Hammers are reportedly interested in Scott McTominay and the David Moyes-led side has already seen a £30m bid for the Scotland international knocked back. However, with Declan Rice who recently moved to Arsenal funding the transfer budget, a fresh offer is expected to be launched capitalizing on the successful negotiations for Harry Maguire. 

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(Image: Forbes)