Harry Maguire nears Manchester United exit weeks after being stripped of his captaincy as West Ham agreed a £30 million deal for the England defender

West Ham have reached an agreement with Manchester United to sign defender Harry Maguire.

The clubs have agreed a £30 million deal and personal terms between Maguire and the Hammers are not expected to be an issue.

West Ham are optimistic about their chances of finalizing the arrival of the England international, although final details have yet to be worked out before the move can be completed.

It would end his four-year spell at Old Trafford, having joined the club in 2019 for a record £80 million fee for a Leicester City defender.

Maguire couldn’t live up to that price tag, as he was dropped from the starting eleven after a number of costly mistakes last season before being stripped of the captain’s armband this summer.

David Moyes is ready to offer Maguire a fresh start after his struggles in recent seasons

Despite approaching an exit, Maguire was spotted training at United’s Carrington base today

Despite approaching an exit, Maguire was spotted training at United’s Carrington base on Wednesday.

The Red Devils previously turned down a £20 million move from the Hammers to Maguire, while David Moyes’ side have also expressed interest in bringing in his United teammate Scott McTominay.

It was previously reported that Maguire hoped to stay and fight for his place at Old Trafford, despite regularly battling a spot on the bench behind Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez and even left-back Luke Shaw last season.

However, Moyes was willing to offer Maguire a chance at a fresh start in the Premier League.

Maguire had a poor 2021-2022 season at Old Trafford, which continued until the start of Erik ten Hag’s regime at the club in the most recent campaign.

After poor opening games against Brighton and Brentford in the first two games of last season, he would make just six more Premier League starts for the rest of the season.

Despite lacking confidence at Old Trafford, he has continued to impress for England, gaining the confidence of Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate.

However, Southgate has admitted that his loyalty to Maguire will be difficult to maintain if he stays on the sidelines at Old Trafford.

A move to West Ham would benefit his long-term prospects in England and allow him to revive his career.

Maguire struggled with a bench seat for much of last season, while Erik ten Hag decides to strip him of the captain’s armband which he handed over to Bruno Fernandes

Maguire was dropped from the base at Manchester United after a number of poor displays

Maguire took to social media last month to confirm Ten Hag’s decision to remove him as captain.

“After talks with the manager today, he has informed me that he is changing captains,” he wrote.

“He explained his reasons to me and although personally I am extremely disappointed, I will continue to give my all every time I wear the shirt.

“So I just wanted to say a huge thank you to the Manchester United fans for all their brilliant support while I was wearing the armband.”

West Ham have been quiet so far this summer but could have a busy last few weeks with the Hammers pushing for transfers for Ajax’s Edson Alvarez and Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse.