Rumors suggest that Manchester United might be considering a swap deal in the upcoming transfer window that could involve the departure of their captain, Harry Maguire.
During the summer transfer window, Maguire came close to leaving Old Trafford, with West Ham being the potential destination. However, an agreement couldn’t be reached between the clubs.
Reports from The Guardian indicated that Maguire was seeking a £7 million payout as part of the deal. Nevertheless, the England defender refuted these claims during an interview while on international duty.
In his own words, Maguire explained, “The opportunity to move to West Ham wasn’t fully negotiated between the clubs and myself. So, it wasn’t a straightforward ‘yes, I’m going.’ The opportunity didn’t materialize because we couldn’t progress far enough in the discussions.”
Despite his struggles for playing time under manager Erik ten Hag this season, Maguire did have a noteworthy performance when he started in the 2-1 victory over Brentford just before the international break.
His inclusion in the lineup was somewhat necessitated by Lisandro Martinez’s absence due to a recurring metatarsal injury from the previous season.
According to talkSPORT, Italian giants AC Milan have expressed an interest in acquiring Maguire and are preparing a bid for the English center-back in the January transfer window.
Interestingly, AC Milan already has Maguire’s Three Lions teammate, Fikayo Tomori, in their squad, which raises the possibility of a potential swap deal between the clubs.
However, it’s worth noting that Tomori’s market value is considerably higher than what United might fetch for Maguire, and this could necessitate additional player sales for Manchester United to meet Financial Fair Play (FFP) requirements. Despite the financial complexities, a swap deal remains a feasible option for both sides.