Each transfer window comes with dozens- sometimes hundreds- of rumours concerning players West Ham want to sign, are about to sign or indeed failed to sign. This season alone the names have exceeded two hundred as the Hammers were’ linked’ with such illustrious names as Jacob Ramsey, Jack Grealish, Raheem Sterling – fortunately many of which turn out to be fictitious, click bait headlines from overseas sites or at best 99% wishful thinking.
An article today in the mirror.co.uk will make many Hammers fans break out in a cold sweat as it reveals the reality of how close West Ham came to what would surely have been the disastrous £30 million signing of one over-the-hill erm- not especially popular Manchester United player. Their article:
“Man Utd had deal ‘ready to go’ before Harry Maguire’s transfer move suddenly collapsed” confirms the rumour from two summers ago that David Moyes genuinely wanted to bring Harry Maguire to West Ham, and almost succeeded. According to the Mirror:
“..United had agreed a £30m deal to sell Maguire to the Hammers. However, the move fell through after the Irons grew impatient with protracted negotiations. This is despite West Ham agreeing personal terms with Maguire.”
Suddenly Mavropanos, Todibo, Kilman and Aguerd don’t look so bad. Forking out thirty million pounds for another thirty year old would have repeated the James Ward Prowse mistake and by now Maguire would be 32 and worth pretty much zero.
For whatever reason, Moyes and West Ham were spared another disaster deal and the consequences of another ageing, expensive, unsellable player sitting on the payroll. So, before ‘rubbishing’ the next high profile transfer rumour that links West Ham with a well known ‘name’ – maybe read it twice: Some of these ‘rumours’ turn out to be 100% true.
Thirty million for Maguire? Suddenly that makes Callum Wilson on a ‘free’ seem like good business.
Errrmm nothing makes Callum Wilson on a free a good signing……
Maybe we dodged a bullet with Maguire – but around the same time we were reported to be interested in McTominay – maybe he would have turned out to be a good signing – he has now been nominated for the Balon D’Or
We will never know
Moyes didn’t promise Top 6 or a trophy, but he did promise a young, hungry, energetic West Ham and had 4.5 years to deliver that .. He ended by paying £30m for a 28YO JWP, offered £50m for Kalvin Phillips and £30m for Maguire .. The “I told you so” “Be careful what you wish for” Brigade overlook all that ..
If West Ham want a good center half the man at Brighton who I think is from Finland is realy good his long passing range is great
Moyes the gift that keeps on giving.
The issue with the Maquire deal wasn’t just the transfer fee, it was his wages. Even now he earns 200k a week. That over three years would have been another thirty milliom.
If we are going to spend 30million on any player please let it be a young player with sell on value ,if need be
We always seem to buy players who are past their best or cannot get in the team because most of the time the players are not good enough for their own clubs
I hope we are going to give Gulhimere a chance,he needs a run in the team not 20mins here and there.
I am sure he is going to be good