Ex-West Ham scout confirms transfer interest 'huge threat' defender is 'still there'

West Ham are said to still be interested in signing Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire, who has struggled to get consistent game time for the Red Devils this season.

The England international has made seven Premier League appearances with the most recent being United’s 2-0 defeat at Arsenal on Wednesday night. He has been plagued by injury this season, which means United could decide to move on from him under new manager Ruben Amorim.

West Ham had an interest in Maguire during the summer transfer window, but no deal was completed despite the fact United were open to letting him leave Old Trafford should the 31-year-old be keen on a move.

According to former West Ham scout Mick Brown, the Hammers remain keen on £80m man Maguire and could make a move for him during the next transfer window. He told Football Insider: “There are Premier League clubs keeping a close eye on the situation.

“Any club who wants a solid and experienced leader and centre-back will be interested in Harry Maguire. He’s a huge threat from set-pieces, both defending and attacking them, and he’s good on the ball.

“He was England’s first-choice centre-back for years so he’s got so much experience. I was constantly on about him when I was at West Ham, but they made an offer of £20 million for him and it was quickly rejected. They’re still looking at signing a new centre-back now, so I’d expect that interest is still there.”

West Ham need defensive reinforcements

Despite the fact the Hammers brought in Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Max Kilman during the summer transfer window, they have been defensively poor so far this season under new manager Julen Lopetegui.

The Hammers come off the back of consecutive defeats with a 3-1 loss to Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester and a 5-2 defeat to Arsenal. They now have the fourth-worst defensive record in the Premier League with just relegation candidates Leicester, Wolves and Southampton having conceded more goals.

The recent results have put manager Lopetegui under pressure and his job under threat, with reports suggesting the Hammers are considering sacking the Spaniard after less than six months in charge. If he does remain at the London Stadium, Lopetegui could be desperate to bring in a player like Maguire who can help shore up his leaky defence.