West Ham coach revealed Harry Maguire was ‘very close’ to leaving Manchester United
West Ham United were “very close” to signing Harry Maguire, but the “money didn’t get sorted” to facilitate the deal, according to Kevin Nolan.
Speaking live on talkSPORT (13 September), the Hammers coach claimed that David Moyes had been in contact with Maguire and his agent, but the finances did not allow the deal to materialise, meaning West Ham “had to move on”.
Sky Sports reported (18 August) that West Ham agreed a fee of £30million for the England international, but the deal was “less advanced” than it seemed.
On talkSPORT, Nolan said: “I think it was very close, I was a bit upset that we didn’t make it. I think it was just in the end, the money didn’t get sorted from what I can gather which is obviously upsetting from our behalf because we wanted to [sign him].
“Probably upsetting from Harry’s behalf and probably United’s behalf as well.”
“I think the gaffer was in contact with Harry, his agent and everything else but yeah, obviously we then had to move on to our next target.”
Missed chance
Harry Maguire struggles to find his way out of the limelight with the frequent pressure and criticism he faces, but he may be ruing the missed chance to make the switch to the London Stadium.
Reports regarding his transfer to West Ham were often conflicting, but Nolan’s insight may help shed some light on what actually happened.
He claimed that Maguire himself was “probably upset” about the failed move, directly contradicting the Daily Mail’s claim (29 August) that he rejected a loan move.
Nolan also revealed West Ham’s keenness to sign the 30-year-old, suggesting that he was the Hammers’ first choice before moving on to Konstantinos Mavropanos.
Maguire has faced a fresh batch of criticism after his involvement in the England squad for the latest Euro 2024 qualifiers and scoring an own goal in his second-half appearance in the Three Lions’ 3-1 victory over Scotland.
A move could transpire in January, but with Maguire’s falling down the Old Trafford pecking order, he probably won’t be all that busy between now and then.
In other West Ham news, a journalist has claimed the Hammers could “define the narrative” of the Top 4 chase this season.