Former Manchester United defender Wes Brown has nothing but praise for one of Michael Carrick’s best-performing stars amid the club’s Premier League form.
Manchester United’s resurgence under Michael Carrick over the last few weeks has been the talk of the footballing world, considering just how good the side has been.
Wins again against Manchester City, Arsenal, and Fulham, in which the side have scored eight and conceded four, have taken them from seventh to fourth in the Premier League table, firmly putting them in the driving seat for Champions League qualification.
It has also been wonderful to see the improved performances of those such as Harry Maguire, Kobbie Mainoo, and the return of Bruno Fernandes to attacking midfield, all of whom have been integral to the good results of late.
With United playing only Premier League football for the remainder of the season, there is real hope at Old Trafford that a return to Europe’s elite competition can be secured for the 2026/27 campaign.
Brown lauds Maguire’s return to action
Maguire played a significant role under Rúben Amorim for the first part of this season, but a hamstring injury in November saw him miss around two months of action. However, he has started all three fixtures under Carrick, and former United defender Wes Brown believes he should be handed a new contract.
“Will Michael Carrick want to give Harry Maguire a new contract? 100%,” Brown explained, via the Manchester Evening News. Maguire’s current deal is set to expire at the end of the current campaign.
“I love Harry Maguire. When people were giving him all that stick, they didn’t look at the facts. They just see that he’s not the quickest or something else, but no, Harry’s a very good player and absolutely brilliant in the air.
“He gives 100% in every game. He’s almost always in the right position. He’s got vast experience at all levels of the game.”
Maguire should be handed short-term deal, says Brown
While handing Maguire a three or four-year contract would not be an economically viable and sensible decision to make, Brown further argued that handing the English defender, who has won 19 of his 23 duels across the last three games, a shorter deal would be great for the club’s squad depth.
“If Amorim were still in the job, then Maguire definitely wouldn’t be getting a new contract, but Michael Carrick’s come in and Harry’s playing, and you’ve [Matthijs] de Ligt and [Leny] Yoro and some fantastic young defenders too who have excelled,” the five-time Premier League champion continued.
“So it’s a big decision. I think if it was up to Michael, he’d love to keep him because I think he’s proven he can get the job done. It’s as simple as that.
“At the same time, you do have two potential players, along with [Lisandro] Martínez, that can fill the gap who you are hoping will become big players, Yoro especially. He’s going to blossom. So if you could offer Maguire a one-year deal and he’d take it, I think everybody would be happy with that.
“But football’s football. The way Harry’s playing at the moment, I’m sure there will be chats going on behind the scenes where other teams will be very interested in signing him up in the summer.
“I think the main thing for Harry is that he’s back playing football, and everyone can see he’s playing so well. I’m glad it’s happened because of the circumstances that I’ve seen where players are not playing, and then there’s not much happening at the end of the season. You feel you still can play, still offer something, but it gets difficult.
“Harry will have options at the end of the season, and hopefully one of them is staying on at United, but it will be up to Harry. What a transformation he’s had since coming back in. We’ve looked solid, and we’ve missed Martinez, too, and the two of them together have been brilliant. Luke Shaw as well.
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“It’s just important that Harry stays fit and stays in the team because I think Michael’s a manager where players, especially defenders, if they’re doing well, you don’t change them all the time. Maybe your full-backs, but your centre-backs need to settle and get an understanding, and then you’re solid.
“That’s Harry at the moment, especially under Michael. You can’t see him dropping out of the team the way he’s playing.”
There have been reports suggesting that Maguire would be willing to take a wage cut of up to 40% to secure a new deal at Old Trafford, which remains his priority despite interest from the Serie A.
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