It was only a matter of time before key people at Manchester United accepted the truth: Harry Maguire is not good enough to take them to the top. What’s been evident to anyone watching United in the past couple of years has now hit their manager. The man tasked with turning the Old Trafford club into a winning organisation has accepted reality.Ten Hag wants to get rid of the under-fire centre back and solve a couple of problems: sell an unneeded player, clear the air in his dressing room and raise some money to buy new players that would increase his squad’s quality.Maguire cost $87 million just over three years ago, but the club realise they may have to accept a considerable loss to sell him. The news comes days before England’s World Cup 2022 campaign begins in Qatar, where Maguire is expected to be the first choice for Gareth Southgate. However, the 29-year-old’s stock has fallen considerably at United.Erik ten Hag wants to SELL Harry Maguire next summer, and he also wants Man Utd to release Fred when his contract expires in June, per Jamie Jackson.Ten Hag’s rebuild continues🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/Jplv1x6I24— 𝚃𝚎𝚗 𝙷𝚊𝚐’𝚜 𝙼𝚒𝚗𝚍™ 🇳🇱 ✍️ (@TenHagsMind) November 12, 2022 Having been made captain under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who signed him from Leicester in August 2019, he has started only one Premier League match under Ten Hag since being fielded in the opening two matches, and is now their fourth-choice centre-back. Ten Hag’s primary pairing is Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martínez, and Victor Lindelof was preferred to Maguire to partner Martínez in the absence of the injured Varane.Maguire signed a six-year contract that has the option to extend to 2026. The length of his deal, his salary of about $225,000 a week and his dramatic loss of form drastically reduced his market value.The former Ajax supremo admires the player’s professionalism but views Maguire’s sluggish pace as a problem and wants to sell him to add true competition for Varane and Martínez and enhance the quality of the defence. The manager is also preparing to release Fred when the midfielder’s contract expires in June. United have the option to extend his deal for another 12 months, but this is not expected to be taken.##NAJAVA_MECA_6806422##Ten Hag has been impressed with Fred’s application and team ethic but is keen to overhaul a midfield in which only Casemiro has proven to be a consistent top-class performer.The time has come for United to demand nothing but top quality from their players – and not settle with players who SHOULD deliver quality.
