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Manchester United will be forced to payoff Harry Maguire as part of his proposed move to West Ham.
According to Neil Custis (The Sun), Maguire will require £6 million from United to cover the prospective loss in earnings swapping Old Trafford for the London Stadium will cause.
West Ham are reportedly offering the former-United captain £120,000 a week, making him one of the club’s top earners.
David Moyes, a strong driver of the move for Maguire, is also believed to have offered the centre-half the vacant West Ham captaincy; an additional gambit to secure his services.
Maguire’s current wage packet at United totals around £190,000. And while he is reportedly keen on the move to the London club, this significant drop in wages had proven a stumbling block.
Old Trafford officials were able overcome this hurdle, however, by offering Maguire a severance package to “offset” the difference.
A fee of £30 million has been agreed in principle between the two clubs – a threshold which had to be met from United’s perspective, as explained here.
United were thought to be initially reluctant to accept the offer, but a stipulation from West Ham indicating a bulk of the fee would be paid up front has assuaged their concerns.
Furthermore, there is growing acceptance at Old Trafford, from both player and club, that Maguire’s time at United must come to an end. The removal of the captaincy, as well as the constant booing he was subject to during pre-season from his own fans, were the straws that appear to have broken the camel’s back.
United are reportedly moving quickly to find a replacement.
Jean-Clair Todibo appeared the first-choice option but Benjamin Pavard has quickly overtaken him, with Ten Hag reportedly pushing United to prioritise the Bayern Munich defender.
Maguire’s transfer to West Ham is crucial to make room in the United squad, and budget, for Pavard. The payoff required to make this happen will, therefore, pay off for United in the long run.
