Harry Maguire is poised to stay at Manchester United this month, only weeks after Rio Ferdinand pushed him to leave Old Trafford.
Rio Ferdinand urged Maguire to quit United last month
Maguire, 29, is still United’s club captain, but he has been a sidelined figure since falling out of favor during Erik ten Hag‘s reign.
After performing for England at the World Cup, the former Leicester man was expected to reclaim his place; but, Luke Shaw has been utilized ahead of Maguire as a temporary center-back in recent weeks.
Ten Hag‘s choice to start Shaw over Maguire has fueled rumours that the £80 million man could leave United this month. However, both the club and Maguire have since stated unequivocally that
But both the club and Maguire have now made it clear that he will not be going anywhere in January.
Reports on Sunday indicating that Maguire was on the brink of joining Aston Villa were promptly crushed by both the player and United, with sources close to Maguire declaring that ties to Villa Park after he was spotted in the Midlands over the weekend was “laughable”.
The Manchester Evening News also stated that Maguire wishes to remain at Old Trafford and that Ten Hag would like to keep the defender until at least the end of the season, thereby putting an end to speculation about Maguire’s immediate future.
Maguire‘s chances of re-entering Manchester United’s team after the World Cup were impeded initially by an illness, which resulted in Shaw being drafted in as an emergency centre-back.
Shaw, on the other hand, was retained ahead of Maguire for United’s 2-1 win against Wolves a week ago after impressing in the role. And that was enough to persuade Ferdinand, who made over 450 appearances for United during his own trophy-laden tenure, that Maguire’s time at Old Trafford had come to an end.
In an interview with BT Sport, he stated: “If I were Harry Maguire, I would be searching for a new club right now. This new manager [Ten Hag] is demonstrating through his team selection that he will not be one of the club’s two or three elite center-backs.”
Maguire returned to the starting lineup for United’s 3-0 win over Bournemouth last week, but he came off the bench in Friday night’s FA Cup triumph over Everton, with Shaw once again partnering Raphael Varane.
In recent weeks, United have been linked with a number of defenders, including Napoli’s Kim Min-Jae, who played for South Korea at the World Cup.
Axel Disasi, a France international, has also been extensively linked with a move to Old Trafford, with The Daily Mail reporting that United ‘had talks’ over a move for the Monaco ace last week.