Home » Harry Maguire could leave Manchester United after World Cup performance

Harry Maguire could leave Manchester United after World Cup performance

by David O'Neill


Harry Maguire may need to leave Manchester United off the back of his strong showings for England during the Qatar World Cup.

That is according to Sky reported Dharmesh Sheth, who believes that, while a winter switch is unlikely, Maguire could be due to leave the Red Devils in the summer.

Speaking on the Sky Sports World Cup podcast, Sheth said “I can’t see it happening in January and there’s no men’s tournament in the summer.”

“I think I can see Harry Maguire staying at United until at least the summer.

“But if he is in a position where he is not getting the football that he wants and the regular football that maybe Gareth Southgate will then be looking at and saying, ‘you need to be playing regularly,’ I can see potentially something happening next summer.

“He’s the captain and he’s not playing. If that’s not going to change, he is at an age now and a regular at England where he’s going to need to be playing regular first-team football.

“United then will have to make a decision as well because they spent £80m on him. In no world now are they going to get £80m for Harry Maguire, simply because – I’m not taking about anything to do with his form, put that aside – but the fact that United would be prepared to sell him would immediately bring his price down anyway.

“I can see something potentially happening in the summer unless there is a huge turnaround in the second half of the season where he gets more gametime.”

The defender has fallen out of favour at Old Trafford, with Rapahel Varane and Lisandro Martinez forging a fantastic partnership at the heart of Man United’s defence.

Even in the absence of Varane, there were a number of games for which Erik ten Hag opted to start Victor Lindelof over his captain, as Maguire slipped down the pecking order.

Going into the World Cup, fans and pundits alike questioned Gareth Southgate’s decision to keep faith with the former Leicester City man, but England’s defensive performances have been vindicated in that regard so far.

Maguire has played very well in Qatar and is doing a good job of reminding people why Manchester United wanted to sign him in the first place.

But his issues at club level have not gone away and while he is enjoying a great run of form on the international stage, he is unlikely to oust either Varane or Martinez from Ten Hag’s preferred eleven.

Arguably, United would do well to move their captain on in the immediate aftermath of the World Cup, with his stock currently as high as it has been since they signed him.

But given Varane’s issues with recurring injuries and a lack of depth at the back, doing so without securing a replacement would be unwise for a team facing as congested a schedule as the Red Devils.

A summer move does look like, however. Maguire almost looks a different player away from Old Trafford and a transfer could suit all parties.

Replacing him with a young left-sided defender could be a smart option for the balance of the team, with Lisandro Martinez the only natural left-footed centre back in the squad.

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