West Ham United: Harry Maguire must replace Kurt Zouma amid Manchester United transfer stance
Kurt Zouma has been under considerable pressure at West Ham this season, and Harry Maguire is a name that continues to be linked with a move to the London Stadium.
Despite several poor performances, David Moyes has stayed loyal to the 29-year-old centre-back, who has started 27 of the Hammers’ 32 league matches while keeping the captain’s armband.
With a selection of Angelo Ogbonna, Konstantinos Mavropanos and Nayef Aguerd as his defensive partner, Moyes has certainly not been blessed with his centre-back choices.
The summer transfer window is on the horizon, with only six matches of the Premier League campaign left to play, and so the rumour mill has already started to turn.
While transfer rumours have linked multiple defenders with a move to the London Stadium this summer, Maguire seems like the most concrete one.
Sources told GiveMeSport [19 March] that West Ham remain interested in the defender, though Manchester United are “not actively looking” to sell.
While the Hammers are targeting a £15million move for the England international, his current club would need a much more significant fee to entertain any idea of offloading him.
Should Harry Maguire replace Kurt Zouma for West Ham United?
One of the first actions that West Ham must take in the summer transfer window is to find a way to offload Zouma. But for that to happen, they must also bring in a replacement.
The Frenchman’s stats speak for themselves. Among centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues, Zouma only ranks in the top 2 percentile for tackles despite their opposition usually holding the majority of possession. [FBref]
In comparison, Maguire ranks in the top 25 percentile for tackles per 90 minutes and only improves from there. He also ranks in the top 85 percentile for interceptions, the top 82 percentile for blocks and the top 97 percentile for aerials won. [FBref]
Despite being the Hammers captain, Zouma’s interceptions and blocks are considerably worse, ranking in the top 57 and 37 percentile, respectively, while only ranking in the top 53 percentile for aerial battles. [FBref]
The Man United man also offers a lot more threat from set-pieces, boasting a top 85 percentile ranking for non-penalty goals as well as the top 93 percentile for assists. [FBref]
Surprisingly, one of the few stats that Zouma betters in is passing accuracy, with the Hammers defender boasting an 83 per cent accuracy, as per FotMob, while Maguire
The pair are equally matched when it comes to passing, however, with Zouma matching the Red Devils’ 83 per cent accuracy in the Premier League this season. [FotMob]
Maguire may have experienced his fair share of criticism at Old Trafford but he has come out the other side much stronger, and West Ham should take advantage of his want to play more minutes.
In other West Ham news, Robbie Savage reacted to footage of the penalty controversy v Leverkusen.
For more West Ham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.