Erik ten Hag still needs to solve Harry Maguire problem if he stays at Manchester United
Man United might have priced Harry Maguire out of a move so he may stay at the club next season after all.
Manchester United have set their price for Harry Maguire this summer
Manchester United have set their price for Harry Maguire this summer
As a positive season came to a close all the right noises were made. The underperforming players would be up for sale and talented ones would come in. A much-needed striker is the biggest priority and look, look! We want Harry Kane! He’s our top target and we’re going to do… What’s that? Tottenham won’t sell him? Ah, never mind then.
The new Premier League season is just over a month away and United have gotten nowhere close to addressing their most troubled position following on from a campaign in which they struggled to score.
Instead, the focus went towards bringing in Mason Mount – which could well be a good signing, in fairness – and now they have an even bigger problem on their hands as they scramble to replace David de Gea after botching his departure.
And who else have United managed to get rid of so far? Two released defenders who were nowhere near the team and a promising young midfielder for less than a million. United have been appalling at selling players for years and the trend is appearing to continue.
The root of the problem is twofold. United have handed out exceedingly generous contracts with high wages and long years to undeserving players and understandably they are often unwilling to lose out on what they are owed.
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Then a bewildering fear of losing players on the cheap or for nothing leads to them setting ridiculous asking prices which are never going to be paid. It’s almost as if they’re praying a naive Saudi Arabian club will come calling. But even those clubs, with their unlimited resources, would surely balk at a ridiculous £50million asking price for Harry Maguire.
MEN Sport understands that’s how much United value their 30-year-old centre-back who is so low down the pecking order that a left-back was often played ahead of him last season. Maguire still maintains a high level for England but has descended into a laughing stock at Old Trafford, with his season still strewn by errors despite only making 16 starts in all competitions.
The only real explanation for such an unrealistic fee is that United don’t actually want to sell their beleaguered defender after all as they would then have to replace him. So the huge figure is in design to ward off any teams who’d be willing to take a punt at a reasonable price.
If so, it’s a huge step down from United who had bullishly labelled Maguire as available for sale in May, alongside the likes of Anthony Martial, Alex Telles, Eric Bailly and Brandon Williams. All are still at the club.
Apart from the obvious issues of a bloating squad and continued stagnation, Maguire remaining at Old Trafford poses another problem for Erik ten Hag. That of the captaincy.
As of now, Maguire remains the official club captain but it’s easy to forget. In his absence, Bruno Fernandes has been leading the team and has flourished with responsibility. The playmaker often came in for criticism for his snippy and abrasive nature on the pitch but has (mostly, Liverpool aside) channelled that energy positively while wearing the armband.
Fernandes is the captain in all but name. He jointly lifted the Carabao Cup with Maguire, he often takes on the burden of facing the media after disasters and his performance levels warrant the armband. Fernandes is one of Ten Hag’s most trusted players, having played a ridiculous 59 matches last season and it would have been more if not for a couple of suspensions and he is the de facto leader of the side now.
It’s time it was made official. For the sake of clarity and squad harmony, Fernandes needs to be given the armband even if Maguire remains at the club.
