Louis Saha believes Manchester United were "not ready" for Harry Maguire's arrival at the club back in 2019.
Maguire was signed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in a bid to shore up United's backline. United paid Leicester City £80m for the England international's services.
Maguire was soon made United's captain and he has gone on to make 175 appearances, scoring seven goals. This season he picked up his first trophy with United when they won the Carabao Cup.
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However, Maguire has lost his place in the starting XI after being dropped by Erik ten Hag. MEN Sport understands there is a possibility Maguire could depart Old Trafford this summer after falling down the centre-back pecking order.
Former striker Saha is in no doubt that Maguire has done his best at United but feels that the transitional phase the club was in when Maguire arrived has not helped his cause. Saha claims that, along with Phil Jones, Maguire has been unlucky at United and has dealt well with the pressure, but that ultimately United were not ready for his arrival.
Speaking to Betway, Saha said: "Phil Jones has been very unlucky with injuries throughout his Manchester United career, but he’s always been a loyal player and never spoke out. Harry Maguire has been similar, he’s tried his best and had to become the captain of the club.
"The team was not ready for Maguire, the squad was going through a transition and that’s why his £80m price tag was that enormous for a defender. It put a lot of pressure on his shoulders and it made it a nightmare for him.
"Maguire has done what he could do with his quality, but the team was not ready for him and it’s unfair. But sometimes that’s the risk of going to a big club like Manchester United, I’m sure he’ll be very disappointed because he would have had dreams of winning trophies with the club. To see your career ending at Manchester United like this is very sad.
“The last few years, Jones has not played enough. He won’t be telling anyone that he’s contributed to any success.
"Compare that to Maguire who had to become captain of the club, which comes with a lot of pressure but he did tremendously well to deal with it. It’s hard to compare Jones and Maguire’s Manchester United careers, but I feel sad for them both because they are very loyal and have given their all for the club. Their legacy has been tarnished because of the team's transition in recent years."
A Manchester Evening News special souvenir edition - Fergie's First - charts United's 1992/93 title-winning campaign and you can get your hands on one here
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