West Ham Reaches Agreement With Manchester United for Former Red Devils Captain Harry Maguire

Harry Maguire - Manchester United v Athletic Bilbao - Pre-Season Friendly

(Photo : Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) DUBLIN, IRELAND - Harry Maguire of Manchester United pictured during the pre season friendly match between Manchester United and Athletic Bilbao at Aviva Stadium on August 6, 2023 in Dublin, Ireland.

West Ham United is set to reinforce their backline after agreeing in principle with Manchester United for the transfer of defender Harry Maguire, as per Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano.

West Ham have reached an agreement in principle with Manchester United for Harry Maguire on £30m fee 🚨⚒️

The verbal agreement is subject to final, key points on deal structure still under discussion but fee now agreed, as per Sky.

Personal terms, to be discussed soon. pic.twitter.com/cIcr0L5fR4
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 9, 2023

The East London-based club will pay around $38 million as a transfer fee for the 30-year-old, which is way below what United spent four years ago to get the Englishman.

In August 2019, the Old Trafford-based club shelled out a record $104 million transfer fee to Leicester City to bring in Maguire, which made him the most expensive defender in the world. The record still stands today.

Key points on the deal structure are still under discussion, but the transfer fee is now agreed upon, per Sky Sports.

Maguire only made eight starts in the Premier League last season, having fallen out of favor under new manager Erik ten Hag, who prefers to have Raphaël Varane and Lisandro Martinez at the back.

New Manchester United captain named

Maguire was the former captain of the club, having assumed the role in January 2020 after the departure of Ashley Young barely five months after he arrived at the club.

The England international was stripped of his captaincy duties last month as ten Hag privately outlined to Maguire his reasons for changing leadership in the team.

The armband was soon handed to Portuguese star Bruno Fernandes, who shared that Maguire congratulated him on the new captain election and said he was happy for the midfielder.