Harry Maguire is one of the Manchester United players who will most likely head out the door in search of regular minutes. Photo: Getty Images/James Williamson
Harry Maguire has been on the verge of being banned from England for nearly 10 months now and every time Gareth Southgate hints that this might be his centre-back's last chance, the manager invariably chooses him.
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That tells you something — and will have some repercussions for clubs like Tottenham Hotspur given the summer move of the man who is still known as the world's most expensive defender. It has been a dismal season for Maguire and just as a glimmer of hope was glimmering, United's two chaotic performances against Sevilla in the semi-finals of the Europa League final showed him once again exposed in decisive moments.
There were several moments of consolation during the season after Erik ten Hag dropped him after United's defeat at Brentford on opening day. He started every World Cup game in England. Maguire has made 31 appearances for United and all of his five Premier League appearances since Qatar have been wins. But there were periods when he disappeared from view, which for someone who once barely missed a minute would be a painful public loss of status.
He tried to salvage what he could from a dead season, and he did so without complaint. However, it didn't turn into a glorious end-of-season comeback story. Without him on the team — even with Luke Shaw as a back-up centre-back — Ten Hag did better.
With Lisandro Martinez missing Saturday's FA Cup final with injury, there was no question that Victor Lindelof had started ahead of Maguire. Chris Smalling, whom Maguire replaced at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's United team, played in the Europa League final four days ago. When United lost at Wembley, Maguire, an unused substitute, grim-faced, led the team up the steps to claim the losers' medals. The captain is still in everything except the game.
Another awkward moment in this strange unified decade. Standing at the top of the stairs to meet the captain without a role were Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill, two titans of a faded past, as well as one of the Glazer siblings who just isn't going to sell the club. If change is finally coming to United, Maguire has arrived at the wrong time. At that moment at Wembley, which otherwise might have been one of the highlights of his career, it should have been obvious that he had to leave.
Harry Maguire was on the bench during Manchester United's FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City. Photo: Getty Images/Ash DonelonIt will be interesting to see what happens next with Maguire. Southgate's enthusiasm for him is rooted in his reliability in the English system, where centre-backs are required to have possession of the ball just like any other player on the field. While John Stones is a key figure in this regard, there aren't many players with his many abilities available. For Spurs and Ange Postecoglou, a manager so dedicated to possession that his Melbourne Victory side had more ball in a pre-season friendly than Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, there's an obvious attraction.
For Postecoglu. , whose career has been about proving others wrong, there may be a certain sympathy for Maguire, one of the lost souls of English football.
It's hard for any player to turn down the United captaincy. It may have been forced on him too early in a team that was already in decline by the start of his second season at Old Trafford. The contract expires in 12 months and clubs that see something in Maguire should make a deal. It was a polite difference of opinion between manager and player over Maguire's usefulness or something else. But it can't go on into Season 2, with the captain watching from the bench.
The last two qualifying matches of the season for Euro 2024 in England should give Maguire some breathing space. He played in a win over Italy at Naples in March and then another win over Ukraine at Wembley three days later. These were big results for Southgate following his decision to stay in England. Maguire spent every minute of those two games alongside the Stones — a partnership the England coach has great confidence in.
That's what has helped Maguire get through a dismal season and he could possibly join later this month. an England teammate who has just completed one of the most successful seasons in history. Stones became one of the key players in Guardiola's squad, while Maguire took a different path at United. There was certainly a lot of City interest in Maguire four years ago when he was transferred that summer for £85m. Guardiola would later say City couldn't afford the player.
Four years on and Maguire can't change the past, but if Spurs offer a glimpse of a different future, he'd be wise to take advantage them.
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