Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has addressed rumours surrounding Harry Maguire’s future amid advanced talks of a deal to send the England International to West Ham United. The Dutchman told the press on Friday “He has to fight for his place” or “make a decision” if he lacks the confidence to compete for a spot in the starting 11.
The centre-back is expected to leave the club in the coming days, however personal terms for the player are still yet to be agreed. Whether ten Hag’s suggestion that Maguire could still earn a starting spot will convince him to stay, is yet to be seen.
Man Utd Boss Issues Challenge to Harry Maguire
‘He Has to Make a Decision’ – Erik Ten Hag
Speaking on the 30-year-old’s future, ten Hag said “When he is not confident enough to fight then he has to make a decision.” The former Ajax manager’s comments may have been intended to encourage Maguire to prove his confidence in his own ability and stay at the club, which would give the Red Devils much-needed depth in defence, as they face a heavy fixture list following their qualification to this season’s UEFA Champions League.
The United boss did give some hope to his former captain, offering high praise to the defender: “he has the ability to be a top class centre-back, he is the best for England, so why shouldn’t he be the best for us? – but he has to prove it”.
The former Leicester man has faced significant challenges in his time at Old Trafford, not least under the current manager. Most notably, he was removed from captaincy this summer, with Bruno Fernandes taking the armband for the 2023/24 season.
Since the arrival of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane last season, he has struggled for game time and only featured 16 times in the Premier League last season, with Victor Lindelof also preferred to Maguire. Despite this, his head coach has said that his position in the squad can change.
West Ham Eager to Complete Deal for Man Utd Centre Back
A fee has already been agreed between the Hammers and the Red Devils, with £30 million on the table for the United Veteran according to Fabrizio Romano. There is yet to be an agreement on personal terms, as Maguire’s wages are currently set at £190,000 per week, which West Ham would like to see reduced to £100,000. It is understood that Manchester United are expected to make a payment to cover some of the difference in wages, although the sum of this payoff is still subject to negotiation.
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David Moyes is seeking to be reunited with his former player in an effort to reinforce his squad following Declan Rice’s £105 million move to Arsenal. Despite an extremely slow start to the summer transfer window, his side have now completed the signing of James Ward-Prowse in a £30 million move from Southampton. The East London club also purchased Edson Alvarez for £35.4 million from Ajax late last week. The Scottish manager will hope that Maguire can play a pivotal role in a post-Declan Rice rebuild.
Main Image Credit:
Lewis Clarke on Wikimedia, CC BY SA 2.0
