Ruben Amorim appears to have identified Harry Maguire as being an essential part of his future plans for Manchester United.
With the January transfer window fast approaching, market rumours have been growing, with several Man United stalwarts punted to leave the club.
Christian Eriksen and Antony have emerged as potential candidates to depart the club, at least on a loan basis, with neither securing regular playing time.
Expectations for Marcus Rashford to leave United have also been mounting, given his fourth consecutive exclusion from Amorim’s matchday squad. One player who some might not expect to be on this list is Harry Maguire, given his growing role in the United lineup.
With Maguire’s contract set to lapse at the end of the season, clubs from the Premier League and abroad have signalled their interest in the English centre-back. Napoli, Leicester City, Fenerbahce, and Galatasaray have all been linked with Maguire should he be made available in the summer.
However, it appears that United manager Ruben Amorim is bent on retaining Maguire’s services, putting a stop to any transfer talks before they even begin.
“Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim is putting pressure on the Old Trafford hierarchy to ‘sign up’ Harry Maguire by a further 12 months as he is desperate to ensure the centre-back’s head is not turned during the winter transfer window,” GIVEMESPORT reported.
“Amorim is pushing for Manchester United’s key decision-makers to take advantage of the opportunity to extend Maguire’s contract until the summer of 2026, having pinpointed him as one of the more reliable members of the dressing room since heading into the dugout,” the report continued.
Previously, The Peoples Person noted efforts to keep Maguire at Old Trafford, with reports claiming that United are likely to trigger his contract extension, thereby corroborating this latest update.
Maguire himself claimed that contract talks have been positive and appear to be heading towards an agreement.
Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation has increased United’s reliance on centre-backs, with three being used as opposed to two as was previously the case. As a result, the Portuguese manager will need to make use of every suitable player at his disposal.
Given Leny Yoro’s prior injury that ruled him out for months, Maguire was heavily relied upon during his absence, as well as the minor injury setbacks suffered by Lisandro Martinez.
Maguire has made 11 Premier League appearances so far this season, helping to keep four of United’s six clean sheets. While heavily rotated during the Ten Hag era, Maguire has been favoured by Amorim, who has played him in every one of the league games he has managed except for the 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town when the defender was injured. (Transfermarkt)
Clearly, it is in the club’s best interest to keep Maguire, at least until a transfer overhaul can take place whereby Amorim is given the liberty to build a squad that best suits his needs.
Featured image Octavio Passos via Getty Images
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Mathew Cohen
A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.
