- Harry Maguire made 22 Premier League appearances for United last season.
- The Red Devils have strengthened their defense with the addition of young Yoro
- The 31-year-old was close to leaving the club for West Ham last summer.
Manchester United have been urged to offload Harry Maguire this summer amid reports he could be available, with a sensational move to Chelsea mooted.
Erik ten Hag’s side have already spent £88m this summer on the signings of Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro.
The big-money spending may not be over yet, with the likes of Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui linked with moves to Old Trafford.
The Red Devils are reportedly willing to part ways with up to seven players to help raise funds for their future acquisitions. According to ESPN, Maguire is among them and United legend Dwight Yorke believes the club should be “ruthless” in letting him go.
“Harry Maguire could be out for the final year of his contract and he knows he will play at some point due to injuries, but United really need to be ruthless and get rid of him,” he told Premier League Betting.
There is talk that Harry Maguire could be a surprise signing for Manchester United’s Premier League rivals
Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke has urged the club to be “ruthless” and sell Magiure
The club has strengthened its defence with the signing of centre-back Leny Yoro
‘They have Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof and maybe Leny Yoro, but Harry Maguire is in the position that he doesn’t have to go anywhere if he doesn’t want to.
‘The opportunity to get rid of him has already passed because he desperately wanted to be at Euro 2024 and would have done anything to play.
“It was time to move him so he could play regularly. That opportunity passed and he is still there.”
As well as Maguire, Scott McTominay, Antony and Jadon Sancho are all available if their ratings are met. Victor Lindelof, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Christian Eriksen all have one year left on their contracts, so could also be let go.
The centre-back joined United from Leicester in 2019 and was named club captain by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in January 2020. But Erik ten Hag decided to take the armband from him.
Stripped of his captaincy, booed by his own fans and promoted to West Ham in the summer, he looked certain to end his time at Old Trafford after being reduced to a bit-part player by Ten Hag.
However, the England international, who missed Euro 2024 through injury, stood his ground and re-emerged as a key figure towards the end of last season as a result.
It’s no longer a question of whether Maguire plays, but who plays alongside him.
Speaking about his return to form, Maguire previously said: ‘I was willing to stay and fight for my place.
‘I’m really enjoying football and I love playing for this club. I played a few games last year and I felt I did really well. I just didn’t play as many as I would have liked.
Maguire has bounced back from a slump that saw him lose the United captaincy8 by Erik ten Hag
Yorke believes Maguire can fill the void left at Stamford Bridge by veteran Thiago Silva
“I had to wait for the right moment and be patient, but I got sick and injured twice, so I never had the rhythm and fluidity I needed to show the manager. Now I have it.”
Despite his resurgence, Yorke maintains the defender should be sacked and even suggested a shock fate if his former club decide to follow his advice.
‘Maguire has shown he is still very capable of playing at the highest level and elite clubs like Chelsea, who are trying to rebuild, could take a chance on Maguire.
“It’s clear that he can still play at this level and a fresh start could be the shot in the arm that he needs to get back to top form for another year or two. You never know.”