Sport
Harry Maguire could revive his career at West Ham
If Harry Maguire wasn’t certain of his standing at Manchester United, he surely is now. The 30-year-old confirmed on Sunday that he’d been stripped of the club captaincy by Erik Ten Hag with Maguire also reportedly being pushed towards the Old Trafford exit door. West Ham are one of the clubs to have been linked with the England international.
With Maguire now a long way down the pecking order as a United player, it’s time for him to seek a fresh start somewhere else and the London Stadium would be a good landing spot. Indeed, there’s good reason to believe David Moyes would help revive Maguire’s career which has stalled in recent times.
At Manchester United, Maguire was something of a stylistic misfit. His lack of pace was frequently exposed by the preference to play a high line and this made Maguire an unsuitable option for Ten Hag’s proactive approach. The writing was on the wall for the England international as soon as the former Ajax boss pitched up at Old Trafford last summer.
West Ham, however, don’t play such a high defensive line. Instead, Moyes’ team commonly deploy a low defensive block, particularly against high-calibre opponents. This is a similar approach to the one that worked so well for Maguire at Leicester City. In this respect, the Hammers would play to his strengths.
The imbalance of Manchester United’s defence meant Maguire largely had to play as the left-sided centre back despite the 30-year-old being right-footed. This hindered him as someone capable of playing out from the back, further underlining the failure in scouting that led to United’s record £80m signing of Maguire in 2019.
At West Ham, there would be greater scope for Maguire to play as a right-sided centre back, as he did for Leicester City. Kurt Zouma is also most comfortable on the right side of a central defensive pairing, but Maguire would surely pull rank over the former Chelsea centre back should he join the London outfit.
What’s more, Moyes’ approach would utilise Maguire well in an attacking sense with the 30-year-old dangerous from set piece situations. Even in a defensive sense, Maguire’s ability in the air would be highlighted in a backline frequently asked to repel crosses and balls into the penalty area.
There’s still time for Maguire to prove a point to those who have derided him at Manchester United for so long. He can still keep his England career alive, but it’s important Maguire finds a club that will harness him this summer. Staying at Old Trafford any longer will only deepen any sense of regret the 30-year-old harbours.
Declan Rice’s Premier League-record transfer to Arsenal has given West Ham money to spend this summer. Most expect the Hammers to reinvest some of that money in new signings with Maguire on their radar – Manchester United reportedly want a transfer fee of at least £35m for Maguire.
Last season’s Europa Conference League triumph also means West Ham will participate in next season’s Europa League which would give Maguire a platform to demonstrate his ability on the continent. After fighting against relegation last season, West Ham also have ambitions have pushing into the top half of the Premier League table next season.
Maguire must accept defeat at Manchester United. Ten Hag has clearly made up his mind on the 30-year-old, but Maguire still has his admirers around the Premier League. West Ham are one of them and Moyes has the tools as a manager to get the best out of Maguire as he enters a critical part of his career.
