Pranav Nair
AC Milan have joined the race for Manchester United star Harry Maguire
Manchester United star Harry Maguire remains a key player for Gareth Southgate’s English national team but has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford.
The 30-year-old became the world’s most expensive defender when the Red Devils forked out a king’s ransom to land him in the summer of 2019. However, he has failed to become United’s ‘Van Dijk’ and is at best a moderate success.
Maguire, to his credit, has had his moments in a red jersey. However, the inability to perform on a consistent basis and elevate his gameplay to a higher level have contributed to his fall from grace at the Theatre of Dreams.
His death knell at Old Trafford was sounded earlier this summer when Erik ten Hag decided to strip him of the club’s captaincy and hand it to Bruno Fernandes. Largely a confident player, the veteran centre-back is at a position in his career where a fresh challenge is needed.
Maguire is not getting any younger and will do well to restart his career in a slower league. Serie A provides him with just the opportunity as AC Milan have now thrown their hat into the ring for his services.
The Italian job!
According to talkSPORT (h/t The Sun), the Rossoneri are among several clubs in the fray for the Man United’s star. The San Siro outfit have helped several stars from the Premier League resurrect their careers and could prove to be Maguire’s salvation.
The likes of Fikayo Tomori, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic have all reinvented themselves at Milan. An ageing Olivier Giroud has also discovered a second wind in his career and is today among Serie A’s best strikers.
There is no reason why Maguire can not follow in the Frenchman’s footsteps. The Italian top flight is a slower league with less physicality, something that will aid Maguire’s skill set. More so, Milan are once again a team on the up, meaning Maguire will continue to fight for major trophies even if he moves to the San Siro.
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Manchester United looked set to recoup £30 million from West Ham United for Maguire last summer only for the defender to opt against the move. The player is also evaluating his future at Old Trafford and it remains to be seen if a move to Italy materialises in 2024.
