Man Utd: ‘Calamitous’ Maguire opens door to shock transfer as three European giants eye loan move
Man Utd captain Harry Maguire has reportedly opened the door to a move elsewhere in the summer and three European giants want to sign him on loan.
The defender has slipped down the pecking order this season as Erik ten Hag has preferred Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane at centre-back.
Maguire has been playing alongside Victor Lindelof in recent games as Martinez and Varane are injured. The England defender made a huge error in United’s 3-0 loss to Sevilla in midweek and this has further fuelled talk that he will leave Man Utd this summer.
90min are reporting that ‘United are prepared to offload Maguire at the end of the season’. It is claimed that ‘some high profile player departures are necessary to create room on the wage bill and allow budget flexibility’.
Premier League clubs have shown ‘interest’ in Maguire, while ‘Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan are all interested in potential loan deals with options to buy’.
The report adds: ‘Maguire’s camp are understood to believe Serie A could be an ideal landing spot for the player if he is to leave Old Trafford, and while willingness is there from United to part ways it’s by no means a guarantee at this stage.
‘Maguire is at risk of losing the club captaincy due to his reduced status even if he does end up staying.’
READ MORE: De Gea escapes as ‘hapless’ Maguire takes bullets for Man Utd’s ‘unstoppable juggernaut’
Stan Collymore thinks Maguire’s “calamitous” performance against Sevilla shows that it is “time for him to go”.
“It’s time for David De Gea and Harry Maguire to go. If you’re Erik ten Hag you’re looking at where your weak links are and where you can improve with the added potential of the money from either the Qataris or Sir Jim Ratcliffe,” Collymore told Caught Offside.
“Harry Maguire, through no fault of his own, cost £80m because if you remember Virgil van Dijk cost £75m and everyone was like ‘whoever is sold next, that’s the par for the course price.’
“The reality is he’s a very good club man who will give you a solid 7.5 or 8 out of 10, but when you’re looking at the very pointy end of big tournaments he perhaps just hasn’t quite got it.
“I think with de Gea now, familiarity breeds contempt. He’s been there too long and Man United need fresh gloves.
“If you’re looking down the spine of the team; goalkeeper, central defender, main midfielder and striker, United have got Casemiro, a 9 out of 10 very good player in that midfield position, Rashford transitioning into being a striker – though I still think they should go for a Harry Kane – so the two positions I think that need strengthening are the central defender and goalkeeper.
“You don’t like to see people struggle on the big stage as they did against Sevilla, but I think that it was such a public and very glaring mistake that at least now ten Hag can go to the board and say we need to change it.”
READ MORE: Captain and keeper among five Man Utd careers which were ended by Sevilla surrender