Ten Hag urged to take £50m ‘hit’ on Man Utd player, with shock European move predicted despite Prem interest
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has been told to cut his losses and sell centre-back Harry Maguire this summer, with an unexpected move to a European team being considered.
Maguire is still Manchester United’s captain, despite his inability to break into the starting lineup. During the majority of games, Ten Hag prefers to play Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane in the center of defense.
This choice makes sense, given Martinez and Varane’s strong form has helped United move up to third in the Premier League and into the Carabao Cup final, where they will face Newcastle.
Maguire will believe he should start the majority of games. After all, he is the club captain and the most expensive defender of all time, having cost Manchester United £80 million in August 2019.
Nonetheless, Ten Hag is unlikely to change his position in the foreseeable future. And the board of Manchester United must quickly decide that enough is enough and that the Englishman should be fired.
West Ham United has been mentioned as a possible suitor for Maguire. And TEAMtalk transfer insider Ben Jacobs recently said that Manchester United could move Maguire this summer to make room for a new center-half to join Ten Hag’s project.
Alan Hutton, a former defender, has now provided his opinion on the 29-year-old. He believes Maguire should turn down West Ham’s approaches in order to achieve a surprise loan move to Inter Milan, where he may revitalize his career.
If Maguire refuses to go out on loan, Manchester United should take a £50 million ‘hit’ on him by accepting a transfer fee of only £30-35 million.
According to a pundit, a Manchester United player suffers from Ten Hag’s style.
“He is a tremendously talented defender, and they probably overpaid for him at the time,” Hutton told Football Insider.
“Does he fit within the Ten Hag way? Is he going to take the ball, be confident, and distribute the passes around? I’m not convinced.
“If they are to sell him, might they get £30-35m for him? Possibly. It’s still a lot of money, so they’ll have to take a hit on him.
“If I were him, I would have gone on loan. Why not go to Inter Milan if you are not going to play from now until the end of the season? Play football, regain your confidence, and then return as a better player. I believe he may have missed a trick there.”
Maguire might follow in the footsteps of Chris Smalling, a former Manchester United defender. He will leave England in October 2020 to join the Italian club AS Roma.
Smalling has revitalized his career with Roma, emerging as one of the club’s most significant players. The 33-year-old has relished his time away from the spotlight that surrounds a Premier League player, particularly those at Manchester United.
Perhaps Hutton is correct, and Maguire should explore a move to a European team where the scrutiny is a little less intense. It will be fascinating to see whether any Italian clubs contact Manchester United about him this summer.
