West Ham have agreed deals to sign Manchester United’s Harry Maguire and Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse.
Both signings are key targets for David Moyes, who has been looking to strengthen his squad since the €110 million sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal.
West Ham have moved slowly since selling Rice but business has picked up this week. They are poised to sign the Ajax midfielder Edson Álvarez and are set to make one more addition in midfield by signing Ward-Prowse, both for fees in the region of €35 million.
Moyes also wants a centre back and has convinced the board to move for Maguire. West Ham have an agreement in principle on a fee of €35 million for Maguire and are due to discuss personal terms with the defender.
The 30-year-old England international has fallen out of favour under Erik ten Hag, who has stripped of him of the captaincy, and needs to move to try to protect his England place.
One potential stumbling block for West Ham is that Maguire, whose deal runs until 2025, received a considerable salary increase as a result of United qualifying for the Champions League. West Ham have been looking for a way to ensure they and United can cover any potential shortfall in Maguire’s wages.
The deals for Maguire and Ward-Prowse will be seen as a sign of the club backing Moyes. There has been tension between the Scot and Tim Steidten, West Ham’s new technical director, over targets. Moyes has been pushing for proven Premier League players, whereas Steidten has been looking at younger targets in Europe.
The move for Ward-Prowse was on the brink of falling apart last week, with West Ham unwilling to go higher than €35 million for the 28-year-old. Southampton were asking for more for their captain and multiple sources said at the start of this week that a deal was looking unlikely.
Yet West Ham revived their move for Ward-Prowse after having a €35 million bid for Scott McTominay rejected by United. They are still paying €35 million Ward-Prowse, who wants the move, but the payment terms are different.
West Ham are also looking for a left-winger and are trying to sign the Chelsea left-back Ian Maatsen on loan with an option to buy. They could sign a striker after selling Gianluca Scamacca to Atalanta.
Moyes could be forced to sign another midfielder if West Ham lose Lucas Paquetá to Manchester City. Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher, Bristol City’s Alex Scott and Monaco’s Youssouf Fofana have been under consideration. - Guardian
