Manchester United could trigger the extension in Harry Maguire, as INEOS do not intend to lose the defender on a free transfer.
According to Football Insider, Harry Maguire could be set for a contract extension, as Manchester United could trigger their option to extend his deal by another season. INEOS have no intention of letting the defender leave for free when his original deal expires at the end of the current campaign.
Manchester United has a peculiar way of dealing with contracts. They always tend to offer new players deals with a club option of a year-long extension. In the business aspect, this has often worked in their favour, as it prevents players from leaving for free, especially when their deals are coming to a close.
Harry Maguire could be in for an extension of that kind, as Manchester United could trigger their option before the end of the year. The defender’s current deal expires at the end of the current campaign, as INEOS do not want to let him leave on a free transfer then.
There are suggestions that Manchester United could sell Maguire in January, but that will hardly get them any value in the market for a player with six months on his deal. Maguire was close to leaving the club in the summer of 2023, with West Ham the suitor then.
Even with suggestions he could have left this summer, Maguire surprisingly stayed at the club and is entering the final year of his deal. Hence, INEOS are keen to extend his £190,000-a-week contract by another year. There are two sides to the argument, as the club could potentially sell him next summer or hope he improves under a new manager who may arrive in place of Erik ten Hag should the Dutchman leave.
Harry Maguire’s future at Manchester United
After a busy summer at Old Trafford, where Ten Hag signed two central defenders in Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro, there was little hope left for Maguire. The £190,000-a-week star has benefitted from Yoro’s early injury, as he has started five of the seven games so far.
He does have an important place in the squad, but there are doubts that he will be third or fourth choice when Yoro returns from injury. At times, Ten HagHag has preferred to play De Ligt alongside Lisandro Martinez, as the club might potentially cash in if an opportunity arrives on their table for the defender.
