LONDON (Reuters) – West Ham United have agreed a deal in principle with Premier League rivals Manchester United for England defender Harry Maguire, media reported on Wednesday.
Sky Sports television and the BBC said the deal was worth around 30 million pounds ($38 million) and personal terms were not expected to be a problem.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag last month stripped Maguire of the captaincy after the 30-year-old made only eight Premier League starts last season, spending much of the time on the bench or injured.
Maguire has become surplus to requirements at United and needs playing time to remain in England manager Gareth Southgate’s plans with the Euro 2024 championships looming next year.
“Inevitably it’s not a situation that can continue forever,” Southgate said in May of a player who has 57 senior caps for England.
The world’s most expensive defender when United signed him from Leicester City for 80 million pounds in 2019, Maguire’s contract is due to end in 2025.
The Premier League season kicks off on Friday with promoted Burnley hosting champions Manchester City.
($1 = 0.7844 pounds)
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Angus MacSwan)
