Man United defender Harry Maguire makes surprise transfer decision after Matthijs de Ligt signing

Man United defender Harry Maguire makes surprise transfer decision after Matthijs de Ligt signing

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire is determined to stay at Old Trafford and compete for a spot in the team even after fellow center-back Matthijs de Ligt arrived.

Due to De Ligt’s departure from Bayern Munich, Maguire will have even more competition this season after struggling to get playing time the previous season.

Despite being signed by his old Ajax manager Erik ten Hag, De Ligt may find it difficult to break into the squad because United thinks Lisandro Martinez and Leny Yoro’s center-back combination can compete with any in the Premier League.

Martinez, the Argentina World Cup winner, is healthy again after suffering injuries last season, although he signed a £52 million contract in the summer. Yoro’s preseason injury will prevent him from playing at the beginning of the season.

That could open the door to Maguire as he looks to revive his Manchester United career but he still faces competition from Martinez, De Ligt, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans.

Despite potentially finding himself fourth choice at Old Trafford, Maguire is ready to fight for his place at United and has no immediate plans to leave the club, according to talkSPORT.

It is claimed Maguire is confident he will get opportunities under Ten Hag and can prove to be a key member of the squad as United look to improve on last season’s dismal eighth-place finish.

Following Yoro’s move to Manchester United, Maguire warned fans over their expectations for the teenager and insisted he had an ‘important’ role to support the young players in the squad.

‘I must say I haven’t trained too much with him,’ Maguires said of United’s summer signing. ‘But I’ve seen clips and I’ve seen attributes in a centre back of an 18-year-old that you’d want, every single attribute he’s got.

‘We must remind ourselves he is really young. There are going to be mistakes but he has every attribute of a centre-back in the modern game, he has it. So I’m sure he’s going to have a bright future.

‘It’s our job as senior centre backs, my job, to help him along, communicate well, let him know what to expect.

‘There are going to be times where I’m sure he’ll feel the world is on top of him, there are also going to be times where he’s going to feel like the best player in the world. And that’s what this club brings.

‘I think it’s really important us senior lads help the young boys at the club. You’re starting to see now there’s so much talent in this squad but they’re going to need to be guided in the right direction and I think that’s definitely a role of mine and other lads as well.’

Maguire has made 207 appearances for Manchester United since completing an £80m move from Leicester City in 2019. He lost the captain’s armband this time last year.

The Red Devils kick-start the new Premier League campaign on Friday night with a home match against Fulham