Manchester United are now prioritising the contract renewal of one of their stars, who has gone from villain to hero in recent times.
For the last decade, centre-back has been a position of debate for Manchester United, with the club spending hundreds of millions of pounds trying to find the best partnership.
However, since Ruben Amorim has come in and switched to a three-centre-back formation, the club’s defence has looked as steady as ever, with the starters clear.
Even with heavy expenditure last summer, there were very few concrete links to the centre-back area.
With rumours circulating that next summer the club may be back in the hunt for another defender, Amorim will first need to ensure the renewal of one of the best performers in his tenure so far.
United prioritise Maguire contract renewal
Harry Maguire, for the last four years, has had a turbulent time, to say the least. From being ridiculed in the media and almost being forced out of the club, to now being back in the starting XI week in and week out. The Englishman has had a comeback story that few others in football have.
Despite being stripped of the captaincy in 2023, he is a core part of the leadership group alongside Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Dalot, Lisandro Martinez, Noussair Mazaraoui and Tom Heaton that Amorim has created.
His absence was apparent against Everton, with his physicality, aggression, and leadership sorely missed in marshalling the backline and the midfield press.
According to TeamTalk, Maguire’s renewal has become a priority, with an agreement expected. The club do have an option to extend for another year, but doing so would mean Maguire remaining on his current wages, which INEOS want to reduce.
His experience is needed for the future
Despite being 32 years old, Maguire has proven to be an excellent option in this Amorim system alongside the likes of Luke Shaw, Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro.
The Englishman is clearly a huge role model with his comeback into the team. The wealth of experience he brings, along with his understanding of the pressures of playing for United, is invaluable.
Whether United choose to sign another defender or promote one from the academy, having Maguire around to learn the ropes would be crucial, especially with the new model INEOS wants to implement of signing younger players.
It is worth noting that reducing his current wages of a reported £190,000-per-week is important for this renewal, as the club looks to invest in other players.
Whether he starts or slowly becomes more of a squad player, having a player like Maguire, as seen also with Casemiro, brings major benefits for the squad as a whole.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 14:00 pm (GMT) on the United View YouTube channel.