Manchester United ‘stop-gap’ Harry Maguire may rue not taking West Ham move, says BBC pundit
Manchester United defenderHarry Maguire has taken a “gamble” that might affect his international career by not moving to West Ham, according to Robbie Savage.
As reported by Sky Sports News (18 August), West Ham and Manchester United had agreed a £30million deal for the England international centre-back, although the move has now fallen through.
Personal terms were never agreed between the Hammers and the 30-year-old, with a source close to the player revealing he hadn’t even spoken with Moyes.
And Savage, writing in the Daily Mirror’s print edition (19 August, page 61), believes that Maguire might live to regret his decision.
“If he had joined the Hammers and played regularly, Southgate would have been able to assess Maguire’s claims for a place in England’s Euro 2024 squad based on form,” the BBC pundit wrote.
“But if he is destined to be a stop-gap for United, Southgate will have to decide whether to stand by a player who is not getting as many minutes on the pitch as he would like.
“If it’s a gamble for Maguire to stay, it’s also a gamble for Southgate to keep picking him.”
Mistake
Savage is absolutely spot on. Maguire sticking around in Manchester, despite the size of the club he is at, demonstrates a lack of ambition. He is likely on a much bigger contract up north than he would have earned in London and is happy to sit on the bench and collect a wage with very little chance of actually getting back into the team.
At the London Stadium, he would have been a guaranteed starter and could have revived his career after an alarming decline in form during an overall difficult stay at Old Trafford. He would have had a chance to endear himself to the West Ham faithful and remind people of his quality.
Instead, he has taken the easy and more comfortable route and it is extremely unlikely he will start many games, if any at all, for Erik ten Hag this season.
While injuries could offer him a route into the team, it is a shame that a player of his stature and with his experience has chosen to stay put rather than challenge himself. Although as Savage suggested, it is only himself that he is harming.
In other West Ham news, details have emerged into the investigation regarding Lucas Paqueta.