"He wants something bigger" - Former manager reveals why Manchester United outcast rejected chance to join PL rivals this summer
Leeds manager Sam Allardyce has given his thoughts on why Manchester United defender Harry Maguire turned down a move to West Ham United this summer.
The English centre-back has been the subject of transfer interest from David Moyes' side and the Hammers went as far as agreeing a £30 million deal with United for the defender.
However, Maguire opted against making a switch to West Ham this summer as he seems keen on fighting for his place in Erik ten Hag's side this season. The defender is currently behind the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof in the centre-back position.
Ten Hag has often favored playing left-back Luke Shaw in central defense ahead of Maguire. The Red Devils boss also recently stripped Maguire of the captain's armband prior to the start of the 2023-24 football campaign.
Given his current predicament at Old Trafford, many fans had hoped that the player would seek a move away from Manchester United in a bid to gain regular playing time. Despite the opportunity presented by West Ham, Maguire has insisted that he will fight for his place this season.
Veteran manager Allardyce has now come out to explain why Maguire turned down the opportunity to move to West Ham. He suggested that West Ham being in the bottom half of the table last season could have been a major factor in Maguire turning down a move to join them.
In his words (via Metro):
"He 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."
How did Harry Maguire perform for Manchester United last season?
The English defender endured a difficult 2022-23 football campaign which saw him lose his starting position in the first team. He was limited to 15 Premier League appearances last season, registering 759 minutes under his belt. This season,
Maguire is yet to feature for the Red Devils this term, as he was an unused substitute during Manchester United's league opener against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday (August 14).