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This time final 12 months, Manchester United accepted a bid from West Ham United to half methods with Harry Maguire.
United’s most costly defender appeared misplaced at Previous Trafford, falling down the pecking order beneath Erik ten Hag, who had already stripped him of the captaincy.
Nevertheless, Maguire by no means pushed for an exit and managed to remain, and with a number of strong performances through the 2023/24 marketing campaign, he seemingly managed to alter the feelings of each his supervisor and the United devoted.
This summer season, it doesn’t seem that United are very decided to do away with the England worldwide. Nonetheless, it’s understood they continue to be open to listening to provides amid issues relating to the Premier League’s PSR guidelines.
Additional, having already added Leny Yoro to his backline, Ten Hag can also be hoping to reunite together with his former Ajax man Matthijs de Ligt, and this pursuit might drive United to promote one other defender this summer season.
Having stated that, the membership’s hierarchy would do properly to position their belief in Maguire over De Ligt, and within the occasion they give the impression of being to herald the Bayern Munich star, they need to look to dump another person to steadiness their books.
With Raphael Varane gone, Maguire is presently United’s most skilled centre-back.
Ten Hag’s facet, who’ve ceaselessly struggled to handle totally different sport states, usually conceding a number of targets in fast succession, wants a chilled presence in and round their penalty space.
Whereas each Andre Onana and Lisandro Martinez are definitely loud and passionate, they lack Maguire’s composure — a trait that made the 31-year-old a dependable and common fixture in each Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Gareth Southgate’s lineups.
De Ligt has Maguire’s management qualities, however his harm file is worrying. The Dutchman missed 20 video games for membership and nation final time period. Martinez has additionally struggled with accidents throughout his time in England.
Maguire additionally discovered himself on the sidelines many instances final time period, however his general profession file is fairly spectacular in the case of availability.
With Varane gone, Maguire can also be comfortably United’s most strong aerial presence. Each Martinez and Victor Lindelof are vulnerable to getting outmuscled.
At 6ft 3in, Yoro definitely provides loads of bodily prowess, however he’s solely 18 and shouldn’t be given the accountability to turn into United’s first-choice right-sided centre-back from the get-go regardless of being a generational expertise.
Media have proven eager curiosity in his switch payment, mentioning it even whereas reporting his harm, and they’re going to definitely be able to pounce on his each mistake.
Within the present squad, nobody is aware of methods to deal with the extraordinary scrutiny higher than Maguire, who has the ability units and mentality to information Yoro and his different teammates, each on and off the pitch.
Maguire is in body to begin in defence for the Premier League opener in opposition to Fulham on August 16, and it is going to be choice from the membership’s hierarchy if he’s additionally beginning for United after August 30.
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