Rijo Sam Daniel
Transfer News: Manchester United could sell Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the summer
According to the Spanish publication Fichajes (h/t The Mirror), Manchester United could part ways with the defensive duo of Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the summer transfer window. Both of them have endured a tough season overall, which has resulted in uncertainty surrounding their future at Old Trafford.
The defensive duo had cost Man United a combined £130million in transfer fees, and there are questions on whether the money was well spent. Maguire was a regular under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick despite his poor form, but his shortcomings are coming to the fore now.
Wan-Bissaka is currently out of contention and has seen himself fall down the pecking order with Diogo Dalot taking over as the first-choice right-back. The Englishman’s fall from grace comes as no surprise given his limitations when it comes to supporting the attack.
Supposedly, Ralf Rangnick has asked the Red Devils to sell the duo next summer, as weakening the team this month would not make any sense. However, the Red Devils could struggle to command anywhere near the price they paid to sign them in the first place.
A ticking bomb?
If the report included only the right-back, then it would have made sense as he is limited in his style of play going forward. Top clubs have excellent fullbacks who have greater importance these days, so we cannot fall back in that regard. His defensive gameplay is top-notch, but that is not enough in the modern game.
Maguire has arguably deserved constructive criticism for his poor run of performances at the heart of the defence. Rangnick, however, lauded him for his “captain’s display“, which puts into doubt the integrity of this piece of news. After all, the boss would not have made a positive remark if this happened to be true.
Both Dalot and Maguire have received plenty of opportunities to prove their worth. However, neither of them can hold a candle to the top players in the league such as Trent Alexander-Arnold or Virgil van Dijk. A certain level of standards are expected at Old Trafford and neither player has been able to show it on a consistent basis.
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While Dalot has fared well, his defensive skills need improvements, so it would be wise if we could have more quality to increase competition in that position. There is little sense in us parting ways with Wan-Bisska unless a suitable replacement is brought in.
As for Maguire, it would be very reactionary to sell him based on the slump he suffered early in the season. He has had two solid performances since returning from injury and looks to be on the way back to his best. Whether the Man United skipper can silence his detractors with his on the field performances remains to be seen.
