Erik ten Hag changes his mind on Harry Maguire again after private transfer meeting

Harry Maguire could still be moved on by Manchester United in the summer (Image: Matt West/REX/Shutterstock)

Harry Maguire, the former captain of Manchester United, has had a comeback this season, but Erik ten Hag may decide to let the England defender go in the summer as part of a change of personnel.

Harry Maguire offers could still be taken into consideration by Manchester United in the summer as Erik ten Hag plans a significant defense overhaul.

After losing his position in the team and the club captaincy in the summer, Maguire, 30, was strongly linked to a transfer; however, he returned to the team after a run of strong performances before suffering an injury last month.

Others at Old Trafford, most notably Raphael Varane, have fallen out of favor as a result of this turnaround, and Ten Hag is pleased with Maguire’s response to the hardship. But Maguire may still be in danger come summertime as the Dutchman looks to bolster his defensive options.

Ten Hag and football director John Murtough have reportedly already met to discuss plans for the upcoming transfer window, and it’s anticipated that there will be both defense-related arrivals and departures.

Ten Hag currently has three central defenders on his wish list: Matthijs De Ligt of Bayern Munich, whom he knows from his time at Ajax, Jean-Clair Todibo, and Jarrad Branthwaite.

Varane and Jonny Evans have contracts expiring in the summer, but Maguire and Victor Lindelof may also leave if they receive good offers, according to the source.

After spending most of the 2022–2023 season on the bench, Maguire attracted interest from West Ham in the summer. However, Ten Hag stated he was “very happy” that the defender had decided to stay and compete for his spot.

Erik ten Hag has designs on overhauling his defence in the summer transfer window ( Image: Manchester United via Getty Images)

Back in August, the Manchester United manager declared, “I’m glad Harry’s here.” We require a strong team. Luke Shaw is one of our five excellent center halves, and we will need them because we will play between 50 and 60 games this season.

We have a lot of ground to cover because every player is an international, so I’m glad Harry is here. We have built a squad with two [players] for every position, and we need it, so he must battle for his spot as does every member of the squad.”

With Ineos CEO Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his team taking over sporting operations, the club is expected to be actively reshaping their roster in the upcoming months.

The British billionaire anticipates that his £1.25 billion deal with the Glazers for a 25% share in his boyhood club will be approved in the coming weeks.