According to recent reports, it seems that Manchester United’s head coach, Erik ten Hag, has had a conversation with Harry Maguire, expressing his desire for the center-back to stay at Old Trafford for the upcoming transfer window.
Maguire, who is 30 years old, has been the subject of numerous speculations regarding his future, especially since he had a tough time getting game time during the 2022-23 season, only starting eight Premier League matches for the club.
As if that wasn’t enough, he also had the captain’s armband taken away from him this summer, with Bruno Fernandes being appointed as the new permanent skipper. The prevailing belief is that West Ham United is leading the pack in the race to sign Maguire, with Chelsea seemingly not interested despite some recent reports linking him to Stamford Bridge.
Nevertheless, talkSPORT has reported that Ten Hag is keen on retaining Maguire for the summer, as he conveyed to the defender that he is still valued at Old Trafford. Interestingly, Maguire himself is not actively seeking an exit, displaying his readiness to fight for regular playtime in the upcoming 2023-24 season.
However, one cannot ignore the challenges Maguire is likely to face in securing a starting spot next season. Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, and Victor Lindelof are all ahead of him in the pecking order. Additionally, last season, when both Martinez and Varane were injured, Luke Shaw was picked ahead of Maguire in the middle of the defense.
This difficult situation could potentially have consequences for Maguire’s international career as well. With next summer’s European Championship looming, a lack of consistent playtime might hinder his chances of being a starter for England, despite being a favorite of Three Lions head coach Gareth Southgate.
As part of their pre-season tour, the Manchester United squad has already traveled to the United States, with a fixture against Arsenal scheduled for Saturday night. During the team’s two friendlies this summer against Leeds United and Lyon, Martinez and Varane started, and it is expected they will do the same in the upcoming match against the Gunners.
Looking back, Maguire made a high-profile move to Old Trafford from Leicester City back in August 2019. Since then, he has represented the Red Devils in 175 matches, netting seven goals and providing five assists.
Regrettably, last season, he was limited to just 31 appearances across all competitions, with only 16 of those coming in the Premier League.
In light of these developments, it’s worth noting that Maguire is believed to have secured a wage increase in his contract with Manchester United this summer. The deal is reportedly worth around £200,000 per week and still has two years left to run.