Manchester United are said to have spelled out their demands for Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, and West Ham United defender Harry Maguire.
Maguire struggled in 2022-23 as he dropped down the pecking order under manager Erik ten Hag. Ten Hag’s first-choice center-back partnership is Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, with the coach also preferring Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw over Maguire.
Maguire appeared in 31 games across all competitions last season, but only 16 of them lasted the full 90 minutes.
The failure of the Englishman to hold down a starting berth has prompted calls for Man United to remove their captain.
And it appears that Ten Hag has been paying attention to such demands. The Sun reported on Sunday that Maguire will be fired as Manchester United captain this week. Ten Hag has not yet made a definitive decision on his replacement, although Bruno Fernandes is a strong contender.
Maguire will be devastated if Ten Hag makes such a heinous decision, as it will demonstrate that the 30-year-old has reached a new low in his Manchester United career.
Maguire’s situation has been updated by the Manchester Evening News. Following the leadership announcement, they claim that Maguire is valued at £50 million by Manchester United.
A transfer at this price would cost the Red Devils £30 million, despite the fact that he was originally signed for £80 million in 2019. Maguire is still the most expensive defender in history.
Harry Maguire may be priced out of a move.
Tottenham, Aston Villa, and West Ham are rumored to be interested in signing the 57-cap international, but only at the appropriate price. Manchester United’s demands are likely to turn off all three of its Premier League competitors.
Another problem is Maguire’s salary. This has been increased after Man Utd qualified for next season’s Champions League, just like the rest of the squad.
Spurs, Villa and West Ham would have struggled to meet Maguire’s previous wage, but they will definitely not be able to match his new one. As the player does not want to take a big pay cut, he now faces the prospect of remaining at Old Trafford and simply warming the bench for another year.
If Maguire chooses to do so, he will virtually probably lose his starting spot for England ahead of Euro 2024. Even if he is a fan of Maguire, Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate will be unable to justify picking a player who has not been a regular at club level for two seasons.
Man United had hoped to trade Maguire in order to bankroll their chase of a new striker. However, if they maintain their £50 million asking price, he will not be moving.
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