Ally McCoist shares ‘best thing’ verdict on Harry Maguire after failed West Ham United transfer
Moving from Manchester United to West Ham might have been the right option for Harry Maguire, according to Ally McCoist.
As per Sky Sports (18 August), the central defender failed to move to the London Stadium despite agreeing a £30m transfer.
A summer exit from Old Trafford would have left the club with too little time to find a replacement, Sky Sports added.
“If it’s not at Manchester United, I want him to go and play,” McCoist said live on talkSPORT. “I thought he had an opportunity to leave in the window there with the West Ham thing, and I thought it might have been the best thing for him, just to go and get his career kick-started again, to go and get playing.
“But to be fair to him, he wants to stay at Manchester United and knuckle down and fight for his position.”
Missed opportunity?
Maguire is clearly very low down in the pecking order at Old Trafford, with the defender behind the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof in that position.
He has even found himself behind left-back Luke Shaw in the role, such is Erik ten Hag’s feelings about the 30-year-old.
Despite all that, the England international has remained in Manchester, rather than forcing through an exit and getting regular minutes at a club like West Ham.
It is brave, but it may also turn out to be foolish, with Maguire in danger of losing his place in Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad.
The defender has made just two appearances for his club this season, firstly getting 23 minutes in the Premier League clash with Arsenal earlier this month.
That was followed by the full 90 minutes in Manchester United’s League Cup third round win against league rivals Crystal Palace on Tuesday (26 September).
In other West Ham news, a journalist has slammed the officials over a missed incident in the recent clash between the Hammers and Liverpool.