Should Harry Maguire leave Man United considering the latest news?

Manchester United and Harry Maguire have a key decision to make as the summer transfer window looms and with a consistency of minutes not assured, the Englishman may begin to look elsewhere.

Harry Maguire has quickly become an outcast at Manchester United and is often coined with the ‘problem’ tag when things come, somewhat, crumbling down.

Under Gareth Southgate, his partnership with John Stones is practically non-negotiable as he has played every possible minute in both of England’s two Euro 2024 qualifiers, but on his return to domestic football, his game time has not been as secure.

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Being an indispensable figure for his country is not enough for Erik ten Hag to slot him back into the first team, with Maguire often playing second, or even third fiddle when Luke Shaw deputises in the centre-back position.

The Sheffield-born defender formed a partnership with Victor Lindelof under United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and impressed in the opening years of his career playing for the 20-time Premier League champions.

But now, the coin has flipped, Erik ten Hag has arrived, and the situation at Old Trafford is different.

There’s no hiding behind the fact that Frenchman Raphael Varane and World Cup winner Lisandro Martinez have become the new mainstays in the centre of Erik ten Hag’s preferable defence.

Though the Manchester United captain has insisted his focus remains on his personal situation and re-integrating himself as a starter, Erik ten Hag may look to cut his side’s losses amid the odd bit of interest.

It has been reported that Manchester United’s coaching staff like Harry Maguire’s ability on the ball, but they also have concerns about his tendency to rush out to win challenges and a perceived lack of mobility – traits which those ahead of him such as Martinez and Varane have in abundance.

United forked out an eye-watering £80m for the former Leicester man, which immediately made him the world’s most expensive defender. With that status comes big responsibilities, and this huge weight on his shoulders only became heavier when he was named club captain in early 2020.

Captaincy struggles have been at the centre of his stint in the northwest, with some claiming he is not fit to lead this Ten Hag’s roster. Across his four seasons in Manchester, the criticism he has received has been at a level that many have never seen before – it has been abnormally relentless.

Despite still being club captain, Maguire has lost the de facto role to Bruno Fernandes this season, with the midfielder donning the armband in his absence.

It has even reached the point where he has been advised to stay off the social media app Twitter in the aftermath of fixtures.

On the other side of the coin of his future, there needs to be a club that are interested in the 30-year-old’s services for him to pack his bags and depart Manchester. Interest from the West Ham camp circulated in January, but Maguire opted to stay and fight for his place.

However, with the rest of this campaign on the sidelines being the most probable outcome for the England international, his days at United seem pretty numbered, and should he wish to retain his spot for England, it may be time for the central defender to move on.