Harry Maguire’s Future at Manchester United in Jeopardy: Will He Stay or Go?
Harry Maguire, the most expensive defender in football history, is facing an uncertain future at Manchester United. Despite his limited playing time at club level, Maguire seems content to remain at Old Trafford as long as he continues to be a regular for the England national team. This revelation has raised questions about his professionalism and commitment to his club.
Maguire’s decline in recent seasons has been evident. Under manager Erik ten Hag, the 29-year-old has fallen out of favor and finds himself behind Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, and Victor Lindelof in the pecking order. Ten Hag even started left back Luke Shaw over Maguire at center back, a clear indication of his diminishing importance to the team.
Last season, Maguire featured in only 31 out of a possible 62 games at club level, making the same number of appearances as Wout Weghorst, who joined the team in January. Despite this lack of playing time, Maguire has expressed his desire to stay at Manchester United, much to the disappointment of talkSPORT host Mark Goldbridge.
Goldbridge questions Maguire’s professionalism and wonders why he isn’t pushing for a transfer. He believes that Maguire should be looking in the mirror and realizing that he needs to leave in order to revive his career. Goldbridge argues that Maguire’s reluctance to seek a move sends a negative message to England manager Gareth Southgate and Manchester United fans.
Goldbridge also criticizes Manchester United for keeping Maguire as their captain despite his struggles on the pitch. He believes that Maguire is fortunate to still be starting for England and suggests that he should be fighting for his place rather than settling for being the fourth-choice center back at United.
The talkSPORT host suggests that Southgate is the key figure who can influence Maguire’s club future. He believes that if Southgate were to drop Maguire from the national team, the defender would be more inclined to submit a transfer request. Goldbridge argues that Maguire is coasting through his career and has nothing to prove, as his focus seems to be solely on his international performances.
In addition to Maguire, Goldbridge mentions other Manchester United players who he believes are not fully committed to the club. Scott McTominay, Jadon Sancho, and Anthony Martial are among the names he lists. He suggests that these players do not give off the impression that they are passionate about playing football and are content to earn their wages without pushing for regular game time.
Goldbridge contrasts these players with Dean Henderson, who he respects for his ambition and desire to play first-team football. He believes that Henderson’s willingness to knock on the manager’s door and express his desire to leave shows true ambition and dedication to the sport.
The future of Harry Maguire at Manchester United remains uncertain. While he may be happy to coast at Old Trafford as long as he remains a regular for England, there are doubts about his commitment to his club. As the most expensive defender in history, Maguire needs to reassess his career and decide whether he is willing to fight for his place or seek a move elsewhere. Only time will tell what path he chooses and how it will impact both his club and international career.