West Ham have been urged to sign Manchester United defender Harry Maguire in the January transfer window and the centre-back could be the ideal man to replace Craig Dawson in David Moyes' squad.

Speaking on talkSPORT's breakfast show, former West Ham man Stuart Pearce declared that the England international would be a quality addition to Moyes' side, as the Scottish manager looks to rectify their woeful recent form and keep them in the Premier League.

He said: “If I was West Ham, if I was Newcastle, if I was Aston Villa, I’d be all over trying to get Harry Maguire out of there. I’d be asking the question whether he’s available. He’d be a brilliant addition to a football club.

“He’s the right age, the right stature, right experience. He might just need another challenge now as he’s not getting regular football.”

Maguire has lost his regular spot in United's side this season, with new manager Erik ten Hag preferring a centre-back duo of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, but on his recent appearances in the Premier League, he has done fairly well, helping the Red Devils to clean sheets and wins against Bournemouth and West Ham.

Paul Pogba was full of praise for the defender, who earns £190k-per-week at Old Trafford, in 2019.

He said: “I call him 'The Beast'. Honestly, as you saw, he was really impressive. He is a leader. He fit right in with us in training."

Considering Lukasz Fabianski has managed just three clean sheets in the Premier League this season, it seems clear that defensive additions are required if the Hammers are going to push themselves back up the table in the new year.

They may need a replacement for Dawson, who was widely expected to leave in the summer transfer window as he sought a move to a club in the north of England, with the experienced defender expected to fall down the pecking order with the summer additions of Thilo Kehrer and Nayef Aguerd.

Like Maguire, Dawson was much-maligned by his own fans during his time at Watford and while it didn't seem like an attractive signing at the time, he has gone on to establish himself as a cult hero at the London Stadium, earning the nickname 'Ballon D'awson' after his incredible performances in the run to the Europa League semi-final last season.

Both Dawson and Maguire excel at aerial duels and the Manchester United man could certainly replace the former Rochdale man's dominance from set-pieces should he move to the London Stadium this month.

Indeed, the Hammer has scored a whopping 53 goals in his career compared to the England stalwart's 28 strikes and 24 assists, demonstrating their offensive prowess.

If the Hammers do lose the English defender to another Premier League side in the transfer window, then Maguire looks to be the ideal replacement and given enough support by fans, there seems no reason why he couldn't reignite his career in London and have a similar impact to Dawson in the Hammers' defence.