Erik ten Hag hints at Man Utd Harry Maguire plan that could push captain to leave club
Erik ten Hag has hinted that Harry Maguire may be resigned to having a limited role at Manchester United, despite expressing his satisfaction with being named the team’s captain. Before Ten Hag became manager in the summer, Maguire was a regular player for the team whenever he was available.
The captain started in the Premier League losses to Brighton and Brentford in the beginning of the season under Ten Hag’s leadership, but has since been dropped from the starting lineup.
He has only started in two top-flight games, which were victories against West Ham and Bournemouth, in both of which the team kept a clean sheet.
The 30-year-old England international will likely be disheartened that he has been on the sidelines watching players like Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, and even Victor Lindelof play instead of him.
There have been rumors that Maguire could potentially leave Manchester United in the summer transfer window.
Despite his strong performance for England at the World Cup in Qatar last year, Maguire still finds himself being considered as a secondary player by Ten Hag, who is pleased with the captain’s efforts but views Varane as the primary center-half. This is despite the fact that Manchester United paid £80 million to sign him from Leicester four years ago.
“I’m really happy with Harry Maguire,” Ten Hag said. “I think he’s progressing really well and in the games he is playing, he is doing really well.
“But we have big competition. Harry is right-footed – a big competitor with Rapha Varane, who is also a brilliant player. But that is what we need if we want to restore Manchester United.
”We need top players but also double the players in every position because we want to play in so many leagues and so many competitions. We have certain positions we have a lack of quality and that can’t be, if you want to compete for the highest trophies.”
According to Ten Hag’s statements, he would prefer for Maguire to remain with United for the upcoming season.
However, the player himself may seek more opportunities for playing time, which may not be guaranteed at United.
As he approaches his thirties, the leader of the England national team may consider a transfer to a different club as the best option, instead of being relegated to a backup role at United, despite the positive progress the team is making under Ten Hag’s leadership.
Maguire still has two years left on his contract with Manchester United, with the possibility of a one-year extension based on the same conditions.
He declined a loan offer from Inter Milan in January to remain in Manchester.
However, in the summer, there will likely be many clubs interested in acquiring his services, including some from the Premier League, which could impact his decision making.
Maguire said last month: “We have a lot of good centre halves at this club, there’s a lot of competition for places and I’ll keep fighting.”
While Ten Hag said in late January: “He’s not fifth choice. But it’s up to him. I have to say he’s training very well, bringing quality and that is what I expect from all the players in the squad. He has to fight for his position and things can change, sometimes also really quickly. I think he is making progress and it’s up to him.”
Erik ten Hag hints at Man Utd Harry Maguire plan that could push captain to leave club
