United must not fall into familiar trap with star and be victims of nostalgia once more – opinion

Manchester United have recently signalled to numerous clubs that they see Harry Maguire’s future at the club.

Reports broke earlier in the week that Maguire had rejected numerous advances from other teams and that United are preparing to offer him a new deal to stay at Old Trafford.

It is thought that any new contract would see him retire at the club as the England defender is already 32-years-old.

Rough past

United shocked the football world with a mammoth £80 million offer for Maguire back in 2019 and it is fair to say he has struggled to live up to his price tag.

Despite a positive first season, his form dipped massively and he became a global internet joke after catastrophic after catastrophic performance.

He barely played in Erik ten Hag’s first season and he was stripped of the captaincy in 2023. Resultingly, he was on the cusp of a move to West Ham United that summer.

Nonetheless, no move came to pass and he has since fought his way back into the first team and become one of the main leaders in the dressing room again.

Regardless, United must not fall into the familiar trap of sentimentality.

The case against Maguire

There is no doubt that the defender has benefitted from playing in Amorim’s back three, as he did for England under Gareth Southgate in numerous international tournaments.

In spite of this, Maguire lacks the basics of a modern centre back.

Speed has never been a significant part of Maguire’s game and this will only deteriorate with age. What’s more, passing out from the back is also a key feature of Amorim’s system. Maguire is average at best at this critical aspect of the game.

Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven are perfect examples of the type of centre back the Portuguese head coach needs in his system and Maguire lacks a lot of their traits.

United have made this mistake before

The Red Devils are a sentimental club in comparison to most huge clubs.

They have kept numerous players in the squad such as Phil Jones, Luke Shaw, Victor Lindelof and Jadon Sancho, who in reality, should have moved on years before.

Keeping Maguire will feel like the right thing to do to reward his hard work but it is not what is best for the club’s long-term future.

Ineos have been keen to recruit young players or those who have not yet reached their peak. It would then be non-sensical to sign up players past their prime to new deals.

Matthijs De Ligt’s presence

In addition to his lack of suitability, United already have a player that fulfils Maguire’s role in the team.

The Englishman can be great in the air, as was shown with his incredible, heart-stopping winner versus Olympique Lyonnais in the Europa League in April.

However, De Ligt is also very capable in the air in defence and in attack and is also slightly faster than the England defender.

Crucially, he is also just 25-years-old, meaning he has not even reached his peak in all probability.

Wages

Even those who support Maguire’s continuation in the team accept that he should be no more than a bench option moving forward.

The difficulty with this is he earns around £190,000 a week excluding bonuses.

Whilst it is possible he could negotiate a lower wage in a new deal, it is hardly likely to be a massive drop.

Therefore, United would be paying huge money to a player who would most likely be a squad player at best.

Blocking pathways

Finally, Maguire’s presence in the team is only likely to take up valuable minutes for youngsters.

Ayden Heaven has massively impressed when called upon but still has much to learn at 18-years-old. The only way he will reach his true potential is by playing consistently and Maguire complicates this.

In addition, academy graduate Tyler Fredricson has also shown glimpses of fantastic potential and like Heaven, will need opportunities to impress in the first team.

The club have also recently signed highly-rated Harley Emsden-James from Southampton and have Godwill Kukonki in the academy, who has already made some first team squads.

All in all, Maguire has always put in a shift for the team and his career turnaround can only be admired. Nonetheless, for a myriad of reasons, United should let him walk off into the sunset when his deal runs out next summer and not be the victims of nostalgia once again.

Featured image Matt McNulty via Getty Images

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