As we head into the international break, there was some frustration ahead of the choice of Harry Maguire being picked for Gareth Southgate’s England team.
Maguire has only made one appearance for United this season, subbed on during the Arsenal game that led to Erik ten Hag’s side losing 3-1. The centre-back has struggled to find a place in the squad since the arrival of the Dutch manager, losing his captaincy and almost being shown the door to West Ham, who had a keen interest.
Nonetheless, the defender has stayed put in the hopes of fighting for his place for the Red Devils. Maguire, who arrived in 2019 from Leicester for £80 million under Ole Gunnar Solskjær will now hope he can force his way into his manager’s plans on a regular basis after turning down the chance to join the Hammers.
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This has proved something of an issue for Ten Hag. With the defender priced at around £30million, his departure would have allowed Man United to reinvest in a player that would be more favourable for the manager.
However, the recent call-up to the England squad poses future challenges for United. Despite his lack of game time at the start of the season, Maguire has been included in Southgate’s England squad.
He has been a trusted member of his country’s squad and has been named for the past few international tournaments. Players typically seek to move away from their clubs to get more game time ahead of a major tournament, and with Euro 2024 around the corner, it is something that no doubt will have crossed Maguire’s mind.
He finds himself in a similar situation to former teammate Jesse Lingard, when he went on loan to West Ham in January 2021 but narrowly missed out after an impressive spell at the club. Maguire’s call-up without showcasing his best form should be a worry for United. Without the incentive of trying to earn a place in the England squad, he might be happy to stay put.
And with Maguire now 30 and on a contract until 2025, the Reds will only see his value decrease. Southgate’s loyalty means he may be happy to stay at Old Trafford.
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The transfer window will soon close and although United got their hands on three players well in advance of the September 1 deadline, with Rasmus Hojlund joining Mason Mount and Andre Onana at Old Trafford, activity has stalled since Hojlund’s announcement.
A goalkeeper, a midfielder and a striker were Erik ten Hag’s priorities heading into the summer window, but injuries early on in the season mean United are in need of further reinforcements.
Our team of experts will be on top of all the goings-on at Old Trafford for the remainder of the window and beyond, and you can get the latest updates and inside information to your phone by joining our new free WhatsApp community below.
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