The Manchester United defender has not hit the heights he originally set.
When Manchester United signed Harry Maguire from Leicester City, they expected big things. However, the Englishman has, to put it frankly, had a stinker at Old Trafford.
Manchester United fans might not like me saying this, but Maguire has been awful. A player with his immense price tag should be playing better and making nowhere near as many mistakes as Maguire has – no two ways about it.
This is why recent news from the Guardian is good news for United fans. According to them, Erik Ten Hag is looking to offload Harry Maguire as soon as possible in order to have the means to rebuild his squad. So much so, he is not even considering holding out for the money they originally spent on him.
This has been a long time coming but it shows a positive change for Manchester United. If Ten Hag is willing to challenge the board and the managers he succeeded, then this a positive change in mentality.
Football is a sport first, and a business second. If a player is performing below standards, then financial profits should not even be in question. They should be sold, and another player should be bought in. This is what makes the best clubs – having a board that trusts the manager enough to make financial autonomy.
Let’s address the elephant in the room. When the Red Devils signed Harry Maguire, they payed a hefty English tax. The “English tax” is an additional cost that teams pay for English players, particularly young English players, regardless of their actual ability.
Maguire was signed for £80m when in reality, he was only worth around £50m maximum. Now he is worth less. This is not a dig at United, it was a mistake they made and now they are taking action to fix the mistake – kudos to the new manager. Long may this mentality shift continue.
What has been your most memorable Maguire memory?