Harry Maguire is reportedly reluctant to leave Manchester United this summer, despite recent interest from Tottenham Hotspur.
It has been assumed for some time that Manchester United’s much-maligned skipper Harry Maguire will finally leave Old Trafford this summer in search of regular game time elsewhere. However, according to the latest report from talkSPORT, the 30-year-old defender is reluctant to leave Manchester United this summer and is keen to stay and fight for a spot under Erik ten Hag.
Manchester United signed Maguire for £80 million from Leicester City in the summer of 2019. To date, it remains the British record fee paid for a defender. And they promoted him to the position of club captain during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tenure.
While he was a reliable centre-back in the first couple of seasons at the club, the 29-year-old has been out of form for a long time now and has endured a difficult season in which he has been singled out for heavy criticism not only by fans but also by a string of former United legends.
Maguire does not seem to be part of Erik ten Hag’s plans going forward, as he has struggled for regular minutes under the Dutch boss. He has only started in eight league games under Ten Hag, and the club is open to selling him this summer to lighten their wage bill as well as earn some vital funds to add to their summer transfer war chest.
They are desperately exploring ways to offload the defensive outcast, who still has two years remaining on his current contract. So much so, they are said to be ready to hand him a £10 million pay-off to get him to leave the club this summer.
Some reports even suggested they could use the England international as a makeweight in a player-plus-cash deal to sign Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount, who has agreed personal terms for an Old Trafford move.
Tottenham Hotspur have also been offered the chance to sign him and have shown reasonable interest in landing him for a reasonable price. Central defensive reinforcements are certainly on the agenda of newly-appointed Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou. The Lilywhites have been linked with moves for Aymeric Laporte, Max Kilman, and Maguire, to name a few.
With his England spot under threat, the 30-year-old is expected to push for a new challenge and regular game time. However, despite his lack of game time, the latest reports have suggested that Maguire is willing to stick around next season, which will surely come as a frustration to Manchester United fans and ten Hag as he has set his sights on signing Napoli defender Kim Min-jae this summer.
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Also, from Maguire’s standpoint, it does not make any sense unless he just wants the paycheck. Regardless of a summer addition, he will still find it tough to displace either Raphael Varane or Lisandro Martinez. The England defender is contracted to Manchester United until 2025, with the option of a further year in his contract. It would be an interesting few months for the defender as he assesses what is best for his future.
Tottenham do not need or want maguire …why do people make up these ridiculous stories