Harry Maguire: 5 Reasons Defender's West Ham Transfer Was Always Going to Stall

• Harry Maguire’s proposed move from Man United to West Ham United is officially off
• It appeared the defender would become a Hammer after a £30m fee was agreed upon
• However, fresh details now suggest the potential transfer from United was a long-shot

Harry Maguire was never in contact with David Moyes or West Ham United about a move to West London, it has now emerged.

On August 15, Sports Brief reported that the deal for the former Leicester centre-back, involving West Ham and Manchester United, is on the verge of collapsing with the Hammers growing increasingly impatient.

Maguire struggled for opportunities under Erik ten Hag last season, especially after the arrival of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, starting just eight Premier League games in 2022/23.

The duo was started in United’s first game of the season, the controversial 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Maguire starting on the bench, per The Guardian.

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Sports Brief now looks at plausible reasons why the defender was never going to move to West Ham.

1. Maguire fighting for his place

According to the BBC, Maguire is determined to stay and fight for his place at Old Trafford under ten Hag. Despite falling out of favour, the England international remains one of the most consistent players in the squad in terms of avoiding injuries, with a knock on Varane or Lisandro Martinez likely providing him an opportunity.

2. No personal terms with West Ham

The report further states that despite United’s agreement with West Ham, there were no indications of any personal agreement involving Maguire and the West London club. As a matter of fact, the Hammers' coach, David Moyes, did not have a conversation with the centre-back.

3. 'Maguire loves United'

Maguire did not bother to engage West Ham in personal talks because of his determination to stay at United - a club he apparently loves. A source was quoted by the BBC as saying this about Maguire:

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"Harry remains settled at United, loves the club and believes he will get plenty of opportunities to play this season."

4. Mutual respect between player and club

Also, United would never force Maguire out of the club, despite a determination to see their former captain depart.

5. Maguire's limited game time

The fact that Maguire’s move to West Ham dragged on for so long means United have too little time to find a replacement. The Red Devils were intent on signing either Jean-Clair Todibo from Nice or Benjamin Pavard from Bayern Munich, in order to allow Maguire to leave.

EPL drops refs after Onana incident

Sports Brief also reported on how the Premier League decided to drop the referees who officiated the United versus Wolves game earlier this week.

The Red Devils had a narrow win over the visitors in their opening game of the 2023/2024 campaign, with Wolves paying for their missed chances.

After failing to award a penalty during the game, the referees involved will sit out the second week of matches, including United vs Tottenham.