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](https://www.claretandhugh.info/west-ham-agree-terms-with-grealish-lite/), 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](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/man-utd-harry-maguire-pavard-35697796) 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.”
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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.