Manchester United have reportedly come to the realisation they won’t be able to make much of the £80million they paid for Harry Maguire back, should the Englishman leave Old Trafford.
Maguire became the world’s most expensive defender when he left Leicester City for the Red Devils in August 2019. The £80m fee eclipsed the £75m Liverpool spent on Virgil van Dijk 18 months earlier.
While van Dijk has been a revelation for the Reds, Maguire continues to come in for criticism at Manchester United.
Poor performances littered with mistakes have raised questions about why the club paid so much for him.
The centre-back is generally reliable when he plays for England, but the same cannot be said in Manchester.
Maguire will need to work hard to impress incoming manager Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman will need to take part in an overhaul this summer and Maguire won’t want to be one of the players forced out.
Man Utd opinion on Harry Maguire emerges
Goal, who cite the Daily Mirror, provide a report detailing what Ralf Rangnick will tell Ten Hag about the club and its players.
It includes a section on skipper Maguire. They claim United may be open to selling the 29-year-old this summer if a decent bid comes in.
However, United chiefs know a huge hit will have to be taken on him. No club is going to part with £80m for Maguire given his current form.
As such, the Red Devils are in a sticky situation. They would look rather stupid if a huge loss is taken and Maguire then impresses for another club.
On the other hand, if they stick with Maguire and he plays poorly under Ten Hag, then the coach will ask for a replacement.
The ideal situation is for Raphael Varane to stay fit – something that has rarely happened this term – so he can form a solid partnership with Maguire in central defence.
Both players will be hoping for an improved performance in United’s next game. They host Chelsea at Old Trafford on Thursday evening. After that, Rangnick’s men come up against Brentford.
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