- Maguire was in talks to join West Ham
- Hammers pulled out due to a delay
- Allardyce reveals reason behind failed transfer
WHAT HAPPENED? The England international was set to join West Ham in a £30 million ($38m) transfer from Manchester United after falling down the pecking order at Old Trafford. However, the defender reportedly claimed a £7 million in a pay-off to leave the Red Devils which caused negotiations to drag on. It was believed that the Hammers ultimately got frustrated with the delay and pulled out of the deal.
However, Allardyce, who had earlier propelled West Ham to Championship promotion, claimed that Maguire did not want to shift base to the London Stadium as he does not have confidence in the sporting project of the club.
WHAT THEY SAID: "He (Maguire) turned West Ham down, he’s turned it down. I know his agent really well. I think – and this is no disrespect to West Ham, because I managed them – he feels that with the troubles they had last season down the bottom of the league, he doesn’t want to be going there, he wants something bigger," he said while speaking at the No Tippy Tappy Football Podcast.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Erik ten Hag has challenged Maguire to prove his mettle for a starting berth at Manchester United. He is currently fourth in the pecking order behind first-choice pairing Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez plus Victor Lindelof. His troubles could further multiply in the coming days as United are mulling over handing Jonny Evans a one-year contract.
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GettyWHAT NEXT? Maguire will most likely be a bench-warmer once again when United lock horns against Tottenham on Saturday evening in London.