Ex-Man Utd star reveals ‘son of a b*tch’ Solskjaer told him Maguire ‘had to play’ because of price tag
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told Marcos Rojo that Harry Maguire “had to play” ahead of him for Manchester United because “they had paid so much money for him”.
Rojo, who lost his place in the United XI in the 2019-20 season, revealed a meeting he had with Solskjaer in which he called the former Red Devils boss a “son of a b*tch” for playing Maguire – who was “making huge mistakes every week” – instead of him.
Rojo told TYC Sports: “In 2019 I was very good in England. I was playing in the Europa League but I was very angry with the coach because he was putting Maguire in the team instead of me.
“Thank God they have taken him out now and Licha [Lisandro] Martinez is playing.
“One day I went to Solskjaer’s office to tell him to let me leave for another club or put me in the starting line-up. I said it was wrong that I wasn’t playing.
“But he told me that Maguire had to play regardless because they had paid so much money for him.
“He was making huge mistakes every week already and I told Solskjaer: ‘Son of a b****, let me play because this guy is making huge mistakes every week.'”
Maguire became the world’s most expensive defender when United paid £80m to sign him from Leicester in the summer of 2019, in a move which forced Rojo down the pecking order at Old Trafford.
Rojo – who was signed by Louis van Gaal in 2014 – played almost exclusively in the Europa League, starting just once in the Premier League before being sent out on loan to Estudiantes.
A year later the defender signed permanently for Boca Juniors.
The arrival of Lisandro Martinez has reduced Maguire to a bit-part role under Erik ten Hag this season, with the United boss even preferring to field left-back Luke Shaw at centre-back.
It’s thought Maguire will leave Old Trafford at the end of the season, with Aston Villa among the sides linked with the England international.
READ MORE: Captain and keeper among five Man Utd careers which were ended by Sevilla surrender