Aheed Abrar
Rio Ferdinand believes Harry Maguire will be behind Jonny Evans at Manchester United
Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand believes Harry Maguire will be behind Jonny Evans in the pecking order if the club signs him.
The Northern Ireland international signed a short-term deal with the Red Devils this summer to feature in the pre-season fixtures. However, the 35-year-old could end up extending his stay at the Old Trafford side in the ongoing transfer window.
To that end, speaking on Vibe with Five on YouTube (h/t Mirror), Ferdinand, who played alongside Evans during his time at Man United, feels the former Leicester City star could be favoured by Erik ten Hag as the backup.
“If Jonny Evans signs he [Maguire] is behind Jonny Evans I reckon.”
Maguire has found life difficult at the Manchester-based club ever since the appointment of the Dutch manager last summer. Since then, the England international has lost his place in the team.
Subsequently, the 30-year-old was stripped of the captain’s armband before the start of the 2023/24 term. The centre-back did not feature in the first two games of the new season for the Red Devils.
Maguire had the opportunity to end his stint at Man United this summer by going to West Ham United. However, while the Hammers had agreed a fee with the Old Trafford side, a deal failed to materialise in the end.
As things stand, Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane look like Ten Hag’s first choice in defence. Victor Lindelof also seems to be favoured by the gaffer over the former Leicester star in the team.
In the previous campaign, we had to play with Luke Shaw as one of our central defenders after injuries to Martinez and Varane. Therefore, it would make sense to bolster the squad with the addition of Evans.
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The Northern Irish national spent almost a decade at Man United during his first stint before parting ways in 2015. But it would arguably be shocking if what Ferdinand is predicting indeed ends up happening.
