Erik ten Hag tells Maguire to go
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag told the media in a press conference this week that he was “happy” with Harry Maguire. The Dutch head coach added that Maguire has “the abilities to be a top-class centre-back” and that Maguire is the best centre-back for England.
Ten Hag quickly threw water on that praise by saying that Maguire must prove that he deserves to start for Manchester United and that he currently does not have the confidence to compete for a starting place.
If Maguire’s lack of confidence continues and Maguire cannot fight for his place in the squad, Erik ten Hag says Maguire “has to go.” Some are calling this a death sentence for Maguire’s time at Manchester United.
Maguire was stripped of his Manchester United captaincy by Erik ten Hag earlier this offseason.
What’s next for Maguire?
Maguire currently is Manchester United’s fourth or fifth string centre back. Lisandro Martínez, Raphaël Varane, and Victor Lindelöf all sit firmly ahead of Maguire in ten Hag’s list of available centre-backs. To make things worse for Maguire, even left back Luke Shaw has been playing ahead of him at centre back recently.
With so many options in front of him, it’s no wonder why Manchester United are willing to move on from Maguire. Unfortunately for United, it does not seem like Maguire wants to go.
Some reports surrounding the Harry Maguire transfer to West Ham claim the Hammers pulled out of the deal because it was taking too long for Maguire and Man United to agree to exit terms.
The England international is reportedly on close to £200k/week ($396k AUD / week) at United. He is unwilling to leave unless the Red Devils compensate him for leaving his contract early and accepting a lower salary elsewhere. When these negotiations stalled, West Ham pulled out of the deal.
Several betting sites are offering bets on where Maguire will be at the end of the transfer window. The general consensus is that Maguire will still be a Man United player in September. West Ham are currently second favourites with Tottenham and Aston Villa following them at most Australian betting sites.
England spot in doubt?
One of the major storylines of last season was how Harry Maguire continued to be called up by England manager Gareth Southgate.
Despite his poor form, Maguire made nearly every England squad and was even called up to England’s 2022 World Cup squad.
There is no denying that Maguire has been solid when called upon for England and that he is a favourite of Southgate’s. However, Southgate’s patience is sure to run out with Maguire. If Maguire is not playing, Southgate may look elsewhere for his England squad, especially leading up to the 2024 Euros in Germany.
