West Ham United have reportedly held initial talks with Manchester United over signing Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay.
Both players are believed to be facing uncertain futures at Old Trafford having failed to nail down a regular starting spot under manager Erik ten Hag.
Maguire fell behind Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof and left-back Luke Shaw in the pecking order last season, starting just eight Premier League games, and he has since been stripped of the captaincy.
McTominay, meanwhile, started only 10 of his 24 Premier League appearances in 2022-23, and he is now facing increased competition for minutes in midfield following the summer arrival of Mason Mount.
Both Maguire and McTominay are understood to have attracted interest from a number of clubs in the Premier League including West Ham, who are looking to spend the £105m recouped from the sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal.
A report earlier this month claims that the Hammers failed with an opening loan offer to sign Maguire, and Sky Sports News claims that they have since held initial discussions with the Red Devils over deals to recruit both Maguire and McTominay.
The report adds that there is currently a gap in valuation for both players and Man United regard the duo as two top players who are valuable members of Ten Hag's squad.
The Red Devils are said to only be considering 'very big bids' for both Maguire and McTominay, as Ten Hag currently has plans to keep the pair for the 2023-24 season, with the Dutchman recently admitting that the former in particular remains an "important" player for his squad.
West Ham have been exploring either a loan or permanent deal for Maguire, but they are aware that his current salary could prove to be a stumbling block, while a potential deal for McTominay would most likely be a permanent one.
United's stance on keeping both Maguire and McTominay could change as they may be required to sell some first-team players to raise funds for new signings, with £85m-rated Atalanta BC striker Rasmus Hojlund believed to be high on their list of targets.
West Ham are set for a busy summer transfer window as manager David Moyes looks to strengthen a number of areas within his squad, particularly in midfield.
McTominay is believed to one of a plethora of midfielders on West Ham's shortlist along with Southampton's James Ward-Prowse, and Sky Sports News claims that the Europa Conference League winners are close to reaching an agreement to sign the Saints skipper.
Ward-Prowse, 28, is widely expected to depart his boyhood club this summer after they were relegated to the Championship last season.
West Ham also hold a firm interest in Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher and they are understood to have seen an opening bid of £40m rejected by the West Londoners, who value the 23-year-old closer to £50m.
In addition, Moyes's side have allegedly seen a £45m offer turned down by Fulham for Joao Palhinha, while the likes of Ajax's Edson Alvarez, Juventus' Denis Zakaria and Monaco's Youssouf Fofana are also said to be on their radar. body check tags ::
