According to a new report from British media outlet Football Insider, Manchester United Football Club is planning to push its 31-year-old center back Harry Maguire into the transfer market next January. Maguire is in the final year of his current contract with United, who are not keen on letting him leave on a free or activating his extension clause next summer, and have therefore decided to move ahead and try to find him a new home in January.
Previously, Premier League side West Ham United had expressed some interest in Maguire, but due to the failure of the two sides to agree on salary, especially Maguire's unwillingness to reduce his current weekly salary of £190,000, the deal ultimately failed to come to fruition. This salary requirement has become a major obstacle to Maguire's transfer.
So far this season, Maguire has only made 7 appearances for Manchester United, including 5 starts. However, the England center-back missed out due to injury in United's 0-3 home defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in the last round of league matches. Since moving to United from Leicester City for a whopping £80 million in 2019, Maguire has made 213 appearances for the Red Devils, making him an important part of the team's backline.
Despite the recent decrease in appearances at United, Maguire himself has expressed contentment to stay at United and wants to continue competing for a starting spot. In fact, Maguire had a good run last season during the successive injuries to Varane and Lisandro Martinez, providing stability to the team's backline.
However, United seem to hold a different view on Maguire's future. With the constant reshuffling of the squad and the rise of young players, United may believe that Maguire is no longer an integral part of the team's future plans. As a result, they have decided to try and sell him next January in order to avoid losing the experienced center-back as a free agent when his contract expires.
For Maguire, he may need to reconsider his salary demands to increase the likelihood of a successful transfer. At the same time, he will also need to face pressure from United's side and the choice of a possible new owner. For United, they need to find a suitable replacement in the transfer market to ensure the stability of the team's backline.
