West Ham made a combined £60 million offer for Manchester United’s Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay on the same day that they signed Edson lvarez from Ajax for £32 million. West Ham has been following McTominay since January as they search for a No 8 with Alvarez likely to slot in in defensive midfield. Like Maguire, the 26-year-old Scotland international might have wanted to leave United if he wants to play frequently.
Mason Mount has been acquired by United, while Sofyan Amrabat of Fiorentina is a player they desire. West Ham’s latest effort to get Maguire comes after they were unsuccessful in their attempts to loan the defender out and had a £20 million offer turned down. Maguire departed Leicester for £80 million four years ago, but only started eight games in the Premier League. One problem is that the 30-year-old defender’s pay increased significantly as a result of United’s Champions League qualification.
West Ham is trying to come up with a solution involving Maguire’s pay. A five-year contract has been reached, and Lvarez will soon go to London for a physical. The Mexican player will be West Ham’s first summer acquisition, and his addition will provide David Moyes some relief as his position as manager is once again being questioned following a trying preseason.
After selling Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105 million and losing Manuel Lanzini on a free transfer, West Ham now needs two midfielders. They had been keeping tabs on Lvarez for some time, and towards the conclusion of last week, they became more interested in the 25-year-old.
David Moyes’ Eyeing For Potential Moves
James Ward-Prowse of Southampton has been one of David Moyes’ top targets, but the two have had trouble coming to an agreement on acquisitions with Tim Steidten, West Ham’s new technical director. A deal is now improbable because West Ham wants to spend no more than £30 million for the Southampton midfielder. The focus is on other targets, but they may return to their interest in Ward-Prowse later in the window.
It is hoped that the addition of Lvarez would lift West Ham’s spirits after a 4-0 friendly loss to Bayer Leverkusen last weekend. On Saturday, they go to Bournemouth for their Premier League debut, and according to insiders, Moyes’ employment may be in jeopardy if his team gets off to a sluggish start. Since the end of the previous season, dissatisfaction with the play style has persisted in the locker room.
Moyes will believe that by winning the Europa Conference League, his position has been strengthened. Steidten has had trouble persuading him to sign Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana because he has demanded proven Premier League players. Moyes and Steidten’s relationship is being improved by West Ham.
After deciding to trade Gianluca Scamacca to Atalanta, Moyes may also search for a striker. He has his eye on Armando Broja of Chelsea, Folarin Balogun of Arsenal, and Dominic Solanke of Bournemouth. If Aaron Cresswell goes, West Ham may aim to sign a left-back in addition to a left-winger. Although Cresswell’s deal to Wolves has been finalized, West Ham is still considering the deal.
