Harry Maguire is carefully considering his options after the Manchester United captaincy was stripped from him by manager Erik ten Hag. The England international has attracted close attention from clubs in the Premier League and abroad, with West Ham emerging as a potential suitor for the 30-year-old defender.
West Ham is reportedly exploring the possibility of either a loan deal or a permanent transfer for Maguire. However, they are mindful of potential wage issues that could arise if an agreement is reached between the clubs.
United manager Ten Hag has consistently emphasized that the decision regarding Maguire’s future primarily lies with the player himself, as he remains under contract with the club until the summer of 2025. The club has expressed gratitude to Harry for his contributions as captain over the past three and a half years. The announcement of United’s new captain will be made at an appropriate time, following discussions with the players.
However, due to training and travel schedules, the new captain will not be named before United’s pre-season trip to New York later this week. The team is set to travel to the USA after a friendly match against Lyon at Murrayfield on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, West Ham has identified alternative targets to Maguire, including Torino’s Perr Schuurs, Bayer Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah, and Luiz Felipe from Real Betis.
Maguire himself confirmed on social media that he is no longer the captain of Manchester United after discussions with Ten Hag. Reports suggest that the decision to remove Maguire from the captaincy was made due to his limited appearances under the Dutchman during the previous season.
The central defender featured in just eight Premier League starts, fueling speculation about his future with the club. In his Twitter statement, Maguire expressed his personal disappointment with the decision but vowed to continue giving his all whenever he wears the Manchester United shirt.
He expressed immense gratitude to the Manchester United fans for their unwavering support throughout his captaincy, highlighting the privilege and pride he felt leading the club. Maguire thanked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for entrusting him with the captaincy, acknowledging it as one of the greatest honors in club football.
Having given his full commitment to help United succeed on and off the field, Maguire extended his support to whoever takes on the captaincy in the future.
A statement from Manchester United expressed appreciation for Maguire’s captaincy contributions and confirmed that the new captain will be announced in due course, following discussions with the players.
