Man United fear Harry Maguire sale could bring £40m loss with out-of-favour defender set to leave
>
Manchester United will face taking a £40m hit for Harry Maguire if the English defender leaves Old Trafford this summer.
Maguire returned to the line-up for Sunday’s win over Leeds at Elland Road, but it was only his fifth Premier League start of the season.
That’s simply not enough for a senior international turning 30 in less than three weeks, and there is growing acceptance on both sides that Maguire will have to move at the end of the season.
United will be open to offers but fear they will have to accept half of the £80m it cost to sign Maguire from Leicester in the summer of 2019, which is still the world record for a defender.
The Yorkshire man’s £180,000 a week contract runs until 2025, but it has become abundantly clear that Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez are Erik ten Hag’s first-choice pairing.
Man United will face taking a £40m hit on Harry Maguire if he leaves this summer
The England defender has fallen out of favor under Erik ten Hag (R) at Old Trafford this season
The United manager’s decision to use Luke Shaw as a centre-back this season, as he did at Elland Road, has further limited first-team opportunities for Maguire, who also faces competition from Victor Lindelof.
The fact that Ten Hag kept Maguire on as captain when he took over in the summer only exacerbated an awkward situation that needs to be resolved.
Maguire was asked about his lack of playing time after the 2-0 win over Leeds and he admitted it has been disappointing.
“It’s not about me, it’s about the club being successful and I want to be a part of that,” he said.
‘I am the captain and I put the team miles before me. Whether I play or not, I want the team to do well.
‘I’m still getting my minutes. Everyone wants to start games, and it’s disappointing when you don’t. You have four international centre-backs at this club and there will always be two who are unhappy. I just have to be ready for when the opportunity comes.
With Martinez suspended for Thursday’s Europa League play-off against Barcelona at the Camp Nou, Maguire awaits another opportunity as Ten Hag juggles his team through a tight fixture schedule.
The Dutchman admitted his selection against Leeds was “part tactical, part rotational” as he rested Varane and Martinez on the bench, and played Shaw alongside Maguire in the middle with Tyrell Malacia at left-back. That allowed Malacia to step in and offer an extra man in midfield when needed.
Maguire sealed an £80m move in 2019, making him the world’s most expensive defender
But his start at Leeds on Sunday was only his fifth of the season so far under Ten Hag.
The fact that Luke Shaw is often preferred as a central defender says a lot about his position.
“I wanted to play the inside winger and the best for that is Tyrell Malacia,” Ten Hag said afterwards.
“I think he did well in the first half. In possession, he was maybe one of the only players who played at a good level for the first 60 minutes. But because we made mistakes, I finally opted to switch there and luckily the changes worked very well. good.’ United looked more comfortable when Ten Hag sent Martinez out for Malacia to play alongside Maguire, allowing Shaw to return to full-back.
It was Martinez’s burst into midfield and Shaw’s cross that set up the crucial first goal for Marcus Rashford before another substitute, Alejandro Garnacho, sealed the victory.
However, Maguire was heavy on the ball at times. Twice his path was blocked because he was taking too long to make a pass, and he almost paid for it in the 34th minute when Jack Harrison stole the ball from him and threatened to clear the goal. Fortunately, Maguire recovered in time to retrieve it.
In his defence, he remains a solid and conventional English centre-back, as he showed again at the World Cup when he knew how to play at his best.
Maguire was heavy on the ball at times against Leeds and was almost penalized that day.
Maguire is one of the first names on Gareth Southgate’s squad sheet and still has all the qualities that convinced United to outbid Manchester City for him three and a half years ago.
The problem for him is that Ten Hag wants more mobile and progressive centre-backs and prefers them to play on the side of defense that favors his stronger foot.
Having established himself on the left since joining United, it appears Maguire now has to battle Varane and Lindelof for a spot on the right.
Speaking to Sportsmail last month, former United and England defender Rio Ferdinand explained Maguire’s situation, saying he would be “absolutely flabbergasted” if the player does not look to leave Old Trafford in the summer.
“Unfortunately for Harry Maguire, a new manager has arrived and he has a particular way of playing,” added Ferdinand.
Ten Hag was asked the other day why he chose not to play Harry, and played Luke Shaw as a left back.
“He said because he wanted a bit of pace behind the left-back, who he wanted to push up high, and he wanted someone comfortable coming on with his left foot for balance.”
‘Those are two things Harry doesn’t have: a left foot and he doesn’t have rhythm. That tells you where he sees Harry in the pecking order. He explains himself.