Harry Maguire's proposed move from Manchester United to West Ham United is allegedly in jeopardy due to a deadlock over personal terms.
Hammers boss David Moyes recently confirmed that his side had reached an agreement to sign the ex-Red Devils captain for a reported fee of £30m.
Maguire - who is under contract at Old Trafford until 2025 - would be in line for a hefty payoff should he leave Erik ten Hag's side this summer, although he would have to accept a pay cut at the London Stadium.
However, a report from The Sun claims that the centre-back's switch to the Irons is in danger of breaking down, as Maguire is yet to reach an agreement with the capital side on personal terms.
Maguire is believed to earn £190,000 per week under the terms of his Man United contract, but his salary would be slashed to around £120,000 at West Ham, and the Red Devils would partly fund his wages.
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Instead, the report adds that West Ham could turn to Bayer Leverkusen's Odilon Kossounou as a possible alternative, as the 22-year-old could also be available for around £30m.
Furthermore, Leverkusen may apparently be ready to let Kossounou leave on an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy in 2024, and West Ham director Tim Steidten is familiar with the defender from his time in Germany.
Amid the uncertainty surrounding his future at Old Trafford, Ten Hag still expects Maguire to be available for their Premier League opener, which comes at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday night.
However, the Englishman will be on the bench at best, as Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane are expected to continue their formidable partnership in front of new number one Andre Onana.
Victor Lindelof also found himself above Maguire in the pecking order last season, while left-back Luke Shaw was preferred as a makeshift central defender during Martinez and Varane's injury absences.
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The 30-year-old retained possession of the armband last season, but he only started eight Premier League matches and lost the captaincy to Bruno Fernandes earlier this summer.
Maguire also failed to make the starting lineup for the EFL Cup final or FA Cup final, only coming off the bench for the final two minutes of the former game against Newcastle United.
The former Leicester City man - who remains the most expensive centre-back of all time - has seven goals and five assists to show from 175 games in a Man United jersey since his arrival in 2019.
England boss Gareth Southgate has continued to select Maguire amid his lack of domestic football, but his spot in the Three Lions' Euro 2024 squad could come under threat should his game time situation fail to improve in the coming months.
Bayern Munich's Benjamin Pavard and Nice's Jean-Clair Todibo have apparently emerged as possible replacements for Maguire, and Man United are said to have tabled their first bid for the former, which was swiftly rejected.
Ben Knapton
