Sir Jim Ratcliffe officially enters race to buy Man United from Glazers
According to reports, the Glazers believe the £80million they spent on signing Harry Maguire for Manchester United is ‘lost money’. And that speaks volumes about the England international and how much his stock has fallen at the club. A parting of ways seems to be on the cards this summer, with the 30-year-old struggling for game time under Erik ten Hag.
Manchester United thought they were onto a winner when they signed Maguire from Leicester back in 2019.
The England international had been a key player for the Foxes, while also shining as Gareth Southgate steered the Three Lions to the semi-finals of the World Cup in Russia a year previously.
Initially, Maguire looked like money well spent. He impressed on his debut, helping the Red Devils cruise to a 4-0 victory over Chelsea.
He would also be a key player for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer during his spell in the Old Trafford dugout, too.
But, over the past year or so, Maguire’s stock has fallen drastically and all signs point to a summer departure.
According to El Pais, the Glazers consider the money they invested in the centre-back nearly four years ago to be ‘lost’.
Man Utd transfers: Ten Hag wants another Pogba and it makes sense
And that’s a damning indictment of where Maguire’s career is currently at, with the United star struggling to make his mark this season.
Ten Hag has repeatedly stated he likes Maguire and values having the England international at his disposal.
But he’s hardly going to say otherwise, straight-talking and hard though the 53-year-old can be.
When United signed Maguire, they did so because he was considered one of the best centre-backs in world football at the time.
Yet while he’s continued to produce for England, never putting a foot wrong, he’s surrounded by upgrades on a daily basis at Carrington.
Don’t miss…
Man Utd have a £8m problem because of Mason Greenwood with future still unclear[LATEST]
Mason Greenwood seems to have performed U-turn over Man Utd future[NEWS]
Man Utd have four options when it comes to Greenwood’s No 11 shirt[COMMENT]
Questions were asked of Ten Hag when he opted to sign Lisandro Martinez from Ajax last year.
Was another centre-back really needed? That seemed to be the consensus, especially given their obvious shortage in attack.
But Martinez has silenced his critics with storming performances this season and, when he plays, United are considerably better off.
Raphael Varane has regained his best form, having initially experienced teething problems upon touching down from Real Madrid in 2021.
And Victor Lindelof has proven himself to Ten Hag, winning the trust of the 53-year-old in the process.
Want the latest football news? Join our brand new Facebook group by clicking here
It seems just a matter of time before Maguire leaves United, with the player wanting regular game time as he enters the peak years of his career.
And it’ll be intriguing to see who comes forward to try and land the centre-back.
Leicester were linked mere months ago but with the Foxes set to be relegated, it’s hard to see a return to the King Power Stadium taking place.
West Ham could land Maguire – and a swap deal involving Declan Rice could be attractive to David Moyes.
And Inter Milan enquired about the United star back in January, meaning the Serie A giants revisiting a deal can’t be ruled out.
Meanwhile, former United star Jaap Stam recently urged Maguire to leave and go somewhere he can play on a regular basis.
“If I was Maguire, looking at him and how it’s working out for him, or how it’s going this season, I would have said [he should leave], and I think that’s best for him as well because he needs to play,” said Stam.
“You’re at a certain age that you want to play, you need to play football. It seems like Ten Hag doesn’t always believe in Maguire.
“I think the best thing to do is to go somewhere where you can play week in, week out.”
Maguire could be involved when United lock horns with Chelsea on Thursday night (8pm).
Source: Read Full Article
