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Manchester United have reportedly rejected a bid from West Ham United for out-of-favor centre-back Harry Maguire.
The England international was stripped of his captaincy by manager Erik ten Hag earlier this month. Last season, he drastically fell down the pecking order after the Dutch tactician chose Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez as his first-choice defensive duo.
Maguire faces an uncertain future at Old Trafford, and West Ham have been keeping an eye on his situation. The Athletic claim that the Hammers made a £20 million bid for the centre-back, but it was turned down by the Red Devils.
It's unclear if West Ham will keep pushing to sign the 30-year-old, who's contracted with United till 2025. Moreover, his salary could also be a problem for the east London outfit.
As per SalarySport, the England international pockets around £190,000 per week. West Ham, nevertheless, have money to spend after selling midfielder Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105 million this month.
Manchester United bought Maguire for £80 million in 2019 from Leicester City, making him the most expensive defender in the game. He has gone on to make 175 appearances for the Red Devils across competitions.
However, it's clear that Ten Hag doesn't prefer him in his starting XI. Maguire made just 16 league appearances last season despite being the captain. The armband has now been transferred to Bruno Fernandes ahead of the new season.
Gareth Southgate has sounded England warning to Manchester United's Harry Maguire
England manager Gareth Southgate has said that Harry Maguire's place in England's starting XI could be in jeopardy if he continues to struggle for playing time in club football.
Maguire featured in 31 games across competitions last season, but they amounted to less than 1,600 minutes on the pitch. In May, Southgate said (via the Guardian):
"Inevitably, it’s not a situation that can continue for ever... Of course the longer that situation goes on the more concerning it is, and we’ve got, in Marc Guehi, Lewis Dunk, Tyrone Mings, players who are playing well without the same experiences of club European football or international football. But we’ve got to keep searching for competition in that area of the pitch."
Having made his England debut in October 2017, Maguire has mustered 57 senior caps for the Three Lions. He featured in every game his nation played at the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups.
The Manchester United centre-back has also played every minute of their four UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers this year.
