Harry Maguire’s time at Manchester United could end in the summer. Erik ten Hag wants to initiate a change in the Red Devils. The sale of the central defender should be one of the first steps. The club also accepts a financial loss for this.
It is quite clear that Manchester United is currently developing. Erik ten Hag’s side were unbeaten five games in a row until the recent 3-1 defeat at Aston Villa. United are fifth in the Premier League and have made it into the knockout stages of the Europa League. Harry Maguire is not part of the rebound. As reported by The Guardian, ten Hag Maguire wants to sell in the summer.
The new coach’s plan is to generate high income by selling his captain. The transfer fee is to be reinvested in signing new players in order to drive the upheaval. Those responsible are aware that United will suffer a significant financial loss if Maguire is sold.
Maguire moved from rival Leicester City to Manchester in the summer of 2019 for a record transfer fee of 87 million euros. To date, a higher transfer fee has not been paid for any defender. The centre-back has signed a six-year deal with an option to extend until 2026. At United, Maguire is said to earn a salary of around ten million euros a year. The length of the contract, the immense salary and the drastic drop in form are said to be the reasons for the decision to sell by those responsible.
Ex-coach Ole Gunnar Solskjær campaigned for the Leicester defender’s signing in August 2019. During the period under the Norwegian, Maguire was also named captain of the Red Devils. Coach Erik ten Hag, who came from Ajax Amsterdam in the summer, changed a lot in his early days. One measure was to take the record defender out of the starting XI. Since the 2-1 defeat by Brighton and the 4-0 disgrace at Brentford, Maguire has not started a game in the league.
Meanwhile, Maguire is only fourth choice in central defence. New signing Lisandro Martínez and Champions League winner Raphaël Varane have established themselves as a regular duo. As the first substitute, ten Hag seems to prefer Victor Lindelöf. When Varane was sidelined by Aston Villa last matchday, Maguire Lindelöf was in the starting XI.
According to the reports, ten Hag admires Maguire’s professionalism but sees the player’s lack of pace as a big problem. The proceeds from the sale of the Englishman should also go towards the transfer of a replacement centre-back. This should put Varane and Martínez in front of serious competition and improve the quality of the defense.
In addition, center player Fred is said to be on the verge of leaving Manchester United. The Brazilian international’s contract expires in June. United have the option to extend the contract for a further 12 months. According to the report by The Guardian, it is not to be expected that the Europa League participant will take the option. Ten Hag is preparing to leave.
Much like Maguire, Fred has also been sidelined under the new coach. Top transfer Casemiro is seeded in the sixth position. In addition, Christian Eriksen has firmly established himself as a partner. Scott McTominay is also usually preferred. Fred, who came from Shakhtar Donetsk in the summer of 2018, currently only acts as a substitute. This cooperation could also come to an end next summer.
This article was originally published on 90min.com as Ten Hag to initiate change: Maguire to leave United in the summer.
