West Ham cancel £30m deal for Harry Maguire

Harry Maguire was told he could leave Old Trafford after being stripped of the captain's armband. Credit: Reuters/Lee Smith

West Ham United have called off their pursuit of Manchester United's Harry Maguire and expect to sign an alternate defender in the next 24 hours.

Telegraph Sport first reported on Monday that the deal to acquire the center a £30m defender is under consideration. balance as West Ham become increasingly impatient with the length of the negotiations.

Understandably, the issue was between United and Maguire, not West Ham, and was a blow to the London club given they were increasingly confident of completing the move.

Maguire was told that he may leave United lost their hierarchy under Erik ten Hague. The 30-year-old is trailing behind Lisandro Martinez, Rafael Varane and Victor Lindelof, with left-back Luke Shaw playing in front of him last season as centre-back.

Maguire lost the United captaincy earlier this summer in a clear sign of his declining status as he was challenged by Ten Hag to decide if he was ready to fight for his place at the club. He was an unused substitute in United's 1-0 win over Wolves on Monday night.

Maguire, who had two years left on his contract at Old Trafford and didn't want to leave, was the target No. 1. for West Ham manager David Moyes.

It remains to be seen if this teeters on the brink of a deal, but with the season underway and alternatives being considered, West Ham feel they can't wait any longer for Maguire.

West Ham are also gearing up for an improved offer. from Manchester City to Lucas Paqueta, who rejected the original approach. The Brazilian player has an £85m release clause in his contract, but it won't come into effect until next summer.

If City are going to convince West Ham to sell them Paqueta now — and it's believed The 25-year-old is interested in a move — they will have to offer more than a clause in his contract.

Meanwhile, West Ham have confirmed the signing of James Ward-Prowse from Southampton, also for a fee of around £30 pounds. The 28-year-old midfielder signed a four-year contract and became another of Moyes' key targets. after last year's success in the UEFA Europa Conference League, you can feel the real momentum around this club. «It's great to be a part of this and I can't wait to play my part in future games.»