West Ham line up forgotten former Arsenal star after £30m Harry Maguire transfer falls through
WEST HAM expect to have signed a replacement for their failed Harry Maguire bid within the next 48 hours.
The Hammers had a £30million deal for Manchester United defender Maguire accepted – only for the move to stall owing to disagreements over a suitable pay-off.
SunSport previously reported that Maguire, 30, demanded a £15m pay-off due to his recent wage hike to £200k-a-week and the two years left on his current deal.
United had offered £6m, a figure Maguire was not prepared to accept, so the England international looks likely to remain at Old Trafford and fight for a starting spot.
It is believed Maguire had agreed personal terms with the club and was keen for a chance to play a starring role in the Prem and in the Europa League – potentially as captain following Declan Rice’s £105m move to Arsenal.
Meanwhile, SunSport understands that West Ham have swiftly moved on from Maguire – a switch boss David Moyes heavily pushed for.
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The East London club are in talks with several clubs over acquisitions and are determined to get a defensive option sorted ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash with Chelsea.
Bayer Leverkusen trio Jonathan Tah, 27, Edmond Tapsoba, 24, and Odilon Kossounou, 22, are all targets – the former club of new technical director Tim Steidten.
Former Arsenal centre back Konstantinos Mavropanos, 25 – now at Stuttgart – is also being looked at.
West Ham currently have Nayef Aguerd, Kurt Zouma, Angelo Ogbonna and Thilo Keher as central defender options.
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However, Moyes is wary of Zouma’s poor injury record, while at 35-years-old, Ogbonna is entering the final stages of his career at the elite level.
Moyes may have more cash to play with in this window should Brazilian playmaker Lucas Paqueta leave, with Manchester City preparing a bid.
Paqueta, 25, has an £85m release clause in his contract that is active next summer, and West Ham will demand a fee close to that figure to even consider his departure.
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