West Ham have been linked with a move for Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire all summer long and there has now been a key development in the saga.

Do West Ham want to sign Harry Maguire?

The 30-year-old has had a tough career at Old Trafford, having arrived with a big reputation in 2019, even being seen by some as their version of Virgil van Dijk.

This summer, however, Erik ten Hag handed Maguire a further blow, deciding to strip him of the captaincy and hand it to Bruno Fernandes instead, and it raised speculation over his future at the club.

Dominant in the air

Lack of pace

Good leadership

Being isolated out wide

Physically strong

Limited in possession

West Ham have continually been considered the front-runners to sign the England international before the end of the summer transfer window, with the Hammers seeing him as a good option to come in and boost their defensive options.

They have already seen a bid rejected for Maguire, with United holding firm, despite not seeing him as a key man, following only eight starts in the Premier League last season. It looks as though the east Londoners have made a big decision when it comes to the central defender, following a key update that has emerged.

Will West Ham sign Harry Maguire?

According to renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, West Ham have now opted to walk away from a deal for Maguire, with the club no longer considering him a main target this summer:

"West Ham have decided to leave the race for Harry Maguire, as things stand — after trying again but no green light from Man United. He’s no longer on the club’s list at this stage, as @Plettigoal reported."

There is no question that Maguire, on £190,000-a-week, has had a tough spell in a United shirt, but there have still been good performances thrown in, and he has continued to be a regular for England, starting all five matches at the 2022 World Cup.

West Ham could, therefore, have been a perfect place for him to settle and enjoy a new chapter in his career, allowing him to get away from the constant criticism at Old Trafford, not to mention giving him more playing time in the process.

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Strangely, it does seem as though the centre-back is happy to stay put, though, still wanting to prove the doubters wrong, but it is hard to see how he is going to force his way back into Ten Hag's plans. Either way, the Hammers' decision not to sign him makes sense because of this, with signing a potentially unhappy player something that is never worth doing.

Heading to the London Stadium could have given Maguire a new lease of life, especially with EURO 2024 looming next summer, and for all his difficulties of late, he could have been a real asset for West Ham, winning three aerial duels per game at the World Cup and being called "amazing" by Gary Neville and an "amazing player" by Luke Shaw.