Harry Maguire is believed to want to stay and fight for his place at Manchester United next season, with the club's captain hoping to regain his starting place amid interest from Tottenham
Maguire has been linked with a move away following a difficult campaign where he has slipped in the club's defensive pecking order. The England international was limited to just eight Premier League starts last season following the arrival of Lisandro Martinez as a partner to Raphael Varane.
Tottenham have emerged as a potential destination for the 30-year-old defender, with new Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou thought to be targeting defensive reinforcements during his first transfer window at the club. However, the former Celtic boss may be foiled in his plans, with recent reports suggesting that Maguire has a desire to remain at United to fight for his place.
talkSPORT report that Maguire is 'reluctant' to leave Old Trafford this summer, with a desire to fight for his place, with Aston Villa also thought to hold an interest in the centre-back. This could throw a potential spanner into the works of United's summer transfer business, with a move to sign Napoli's Kim Min-jae reportedly on the cards.
Maguire has endured tough times at United in the past two seasons, with the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo unsettling the player amid the Portuguese star's reported calls for him to be removed from the captaincy. Previously, he had been an important player, with second and third placed finishes in his first two seasons as the club's captain in 2019/20 and 2020/21.
However, his fortunes have changed, with his England starting spot under scrutiny due to a lack of minutes at United and he could be required to seek a move away in order to preserve his status with the Three Lions ahead of Euro 2024.
Maguire did enjoy a run in the team during the closing months of the season, with injuries to Varane and Martinez handing an opportunity to him and fellow centre-back Victor Lindelof. However, Lindelof was selected by ten Hag to start the FA Cup against Man City following an admission by Maguire that he would prefer to have played more during the season.
"Yeah, of course," Maguire admitted when asked if he would like to have played more under Ten Hag following United's final league match of the season. "Listen, we have a lot of competition for places and that's what a big club needs. Lots of strength in depth. I think you've seen today, after 20 minutes, it was a really positive performance.
"[We had] lads who stepped in, lads who haven't played as much and I think the manager and his staff can rely upon us and know that, if he makes changes, we can do the job, so it's good to be part of this squad. I think if we're going to be successful this season and next season and the season after, we're going to need a big squad."
