17 August 2023 , 23:36
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Manchester United are set to miss out on one of their main transfer targets due to Harry Maguire's refusal to leave Old Trafford.
Following relentless criticism of his displays in the past two seasons, the 30-year-old's future looked bleak last season when he fell out of favour under manager Erik ten Hag. And that notion was compounded when the Dutch boss opted to strip the England international of the club captaincy this summer.
Indeed, the 30-year-old seemed destined to join West Ham after a £30million bid was accepted. However, that deal has now collapsed, with Maguire seemingly keen to stay and fight for his place with the Red Devils.
Ten Hag has splashed out more than £170million this summer on new signings Mason Mount, Andre Onana, and Rasmus Hojlund, but FFP restrictions mean his spending funds are now limited. And unless the club can offload some of its stars for significant fees, bringing in more players before September 1 looks unlikely.
And that notion could scupper their pursuit of Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard. The French international, who was a key figure in his country's 2018 World Cup winner, is looking to leave the Bundesliga champions and is reportedly keen on a switch to United.
World Cup hero wants Man Utd move as doubts over Harry Maguire's future grow
But Maguire staying has effectively denied Ten Hag the funds he needs to make a bid for Pavard. And now Champions League finalists Inter Milan have looked to capitalise on the situation with an offer of their own.
Reports in Italy claim that the club have tabled a bid of more than £21million for the 27-year-old. Negotiations remain ongoing however, with the German giants valuing the centre-back at closer to £25million.
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Erik ten Hag stripped Maguire of the captaincy this summer (Getty Images)United's failure to move on Maguire could potentially have implications for further targets. The club have also been lining up a move for Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, with Liverpool now joining the race amid United's uncertainty.
Ten Hag had hoped to have significantly more funds available to him in this transfer window, amid the Glazer family announcing their intention to sell the club last November. But the takeover saga has continued to rumble on, with front runners Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe still awaiting news on their bids.
Fan protests have done little to speed up the process either. United supporters forced the stadium shop to close on the day the official 2023/24 kit went on sale this summer, after barricading the entrance to demonstrate their disdain towards the US family.