Manchester United captain Harry Maguire could find himself in a sticky situation with boss Erik ten Hag with a resolution yet to be found over his future.
The former Leicester defender has endured a dramatic fall from grace since his world record move to Old Trafford in 2019. A series of high-profile errors has seen him lose his place under Erik ten Hag.
He was usurped in the pecking order by Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez over recent campaigns, whilst Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof have played ahead of him at centre-back. That saw Maguire limited to just 16 starts in all competitions for the Red Devils last term, just eight of which came in the Premier League.
The current situation at Old Trafford has seen him linked with a move away. His future looks increasingly uncertain as the defender returns to training later this week after his summer international commitments for England.
According to the Manchester Evening News, the Red Devils want to receive £50m should they sell Maguire this summer. That is a figure that is unlikely to be matched by any of his potential suitors.
United are also reportedly not actively pursuing a sale due to the need to sign a better replacement should Maguire leave - and that could come at great expense. The Red Devils want to sign a goalkeeper and a striker before the end of the window which could leave little funds to find a replacement.
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That could well leave Maguire in an awkward situation. The 30-year-old has already been told that he needs to be playing regularly for his club if he is to retain his place in the England side under Gareth Southgate.
Speaking last month, he said: “Harry’s shown great resilience and his performance level with us through the season has been very, very good. It’s been challenging for him, he’s captain of a huge, worldwide football club and he’s not been able to play so that would have been hard.”
Maguire looks unlikely to receive that first-team football that he needs so long as he stays at Old Trafford. West Ham were linked with a move for Maguire last season but a swoop never materialised.
Tottenham are also interested in his signature as the North London side aim to bolster their defensive ranks. Speaking about his captain’s future last term, Ten Hag replied: “Let’s say I’m happy he’s here and when we needed him he did his job. But it’s also a decision he has to make.
“No one would be happy with this situation – he is not as well. He trains always on the best levels, so with 100% effort. So he handles that situation well and he’s in that manner and in his captaincy he’s important for the squad.”
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