Harry Maguire backed for Man Utd exit in January as West Ham ‘encouraged’ about transfer

Manchester United could look to cash in on Harry Maguire next month despite his recent renaissance.

West Ham United have been handed encouragement over a potential move for Manchester United defender Harry Maguire, according to reports. And former Red Devils winger Lee Sharpe believes switching to West Ham next month would be a wise career move for Maguire.

The 30-year-old was expected to leave for east London in the summer after United accepted a £30million bid for his signature.

But a breakdown in talks over personal terms saw Maguire remain at Old Trafford, where he has enjoyed a personal renaissance this season.

Maguire leapfrogged Raphael Varane in Erik ten Hag’s pecking order before suffering an injury – expected to be short-term – against Bayern Munich earlier this month.

Varane produced a solid display against Bayern and was United’s Player of the Match in the 0-0 draw at Liverpool a few days later.

In October, ESPN reported that West Ham had been handed encouragement over a potential winter deal for Maguire amid Ten Hag’s plans to fund new signings through player sales.

And Sharpe believes that the London Stadium would be an ideal destination if Maguire’s improved form ultimately means little regarding the likelihood of his exit.

“It’s a difficult one to call. The media circus was way out of proportion and pretty brutal at times for someone who was just playing football,” Lee Sharpe told Express Sport.

“I don’t know Harry Maguire, I don’t know what the manager talks to him about, I don’t know if he’s sort of thinking behind what’s going on.

“But I look at a West Ham move on the surface and think what a great move it would be. I know West Ham struggled a bit last year, but that was probably due to being in Europe for the first time in a while.

“They’ve come back again and looked decent this year. They’ll always have a decent team. David Moyes is a really good manager, and he [Maguire] would benefit from playing under David Moyes in a team like West Ham.”