Manchester United braced for £30m windfall as deal for Harry Maguire replacement eyed

With all roads leading to London for West Ham-bound Harry Maguire this summer, Manchester United have been forced to take a detour in the market as they consider potential replacements for him.

Although the England defender could no longer call himself United captain following sit-down talks with manager Erik ten Hag this summer, there was no rush on either side to strike up an exit strategy before the transfer deadline comes and goes this time around. But things have changed quickly since the club's 24-hour trip to Dublin.

In-house, United jotted down Maguire as an expendable squad member last December and, initially, valued him at £50million rather than the £30million they are expected to recoup, after their £80million outlay four years ago now. That said, it still represents a surprisingly early windfall in the grander scheme.

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Having snapped-up Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund to address three glaring issues in their squad, United had parked the need for another centre-back due to budget constraints. While that was always viewed as a fourth priority, the impending departure of Maguire has, ultimately, sped up their ongoing rebuild.

Sitting behind Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof in the pecking order, Maguire knew his new-found place and that remains a tough sell for any prospective replacement - certainly one at a similar stage in their career to the departing England regular. Ten Hag and United have one way to go.

Signing a younger model looks to be their best bet, hence ongoing