Everton have missed out on the signing of Harry Maguire to West Ham.
That’s according to Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekol, who have reported that West Ham have reached an agreement in principle with Manchester United for the defender.
Maguire is set to move to the London Stadium in a £30 million deal, with the verbal agreement subject to final details on the deal structure. The report claims personal terms are unlikely to be an issue between the two parties.
Maguire’s proposed move to West Ham means the reported swap deal between Maguire and Amadou Onana is now extremely unlikely.
The Toffees had been heavily linked with a move for the centre-back this week, though they were yet to make an offer after BBC Sport claimed that they couldn’t afford his signature.
However, the Red Devils’ interest in Onana could have paved the way for a significantly lower asking price for Maguire.
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Despite this, moving on Onana would have been a controversial decision, while Maguire’s huge wages would have been another issue for Sean Dyche’s side. The England international is thought to earn around £190,000-a-week at Old Trafford.
Previous reports had claimed that Maguire was hopeful of joining a club with European football, meaning Everton would have struggled to compete with West Ham anyway. David Moyes’ side confirmed a place in the Europa League with their Europa Conference League victory over Fiorentina in June.
Will Harry Maguire’s move to West Ham impact Everton?
Harry Maguire would have been a good signing for Everton, however the club should definitely be splashing that kind of money on other positions that need it.
However, the defender’s switch to the English capital could also have a negative impact on the Toffees.
West Ham probably needed a player like Maguire a lot more than Everton did and he could well be a brilliant addition to their team. If the 30-year-old can pick up some decent form again then he could play a big part in the Irons’ steering away from another relegation scrap.