Sam Allardyce has told England’s World Cup star Harry Maguire that he must leave Manchester United.
Allardyce spoke on the No Tippy Tappy football podcast about England’s performances in Qatar ahead of their match against the United States.
The issue centered on Gareth Southgate’s faith in Maguire despite his recent struggles and media scrutiny.
“It leaves him in a big dilemma when he comes back to United because if they don’t pick him, he has to go,” he said.
“It certainly showed that to everyone in the press, who were trying to pressure Gareth not to play him and saying he’s not good enough to play for United or England. He has shown that this is nonsense ”.
Maguire had played well against Iran during the Three Lions’ 6–2 victory on the opening day.
He continued that good form in the USA game, where he was arguably the best of a stale group during a hard-fought 0-0 draw.
However, at club level, Maguire has found such performances hard to come by.
He has gone from undisputed starter to third- or fourth-choice centre-back, depending on whether or not Erik ten Hag feels Victor Lindelof is better suited for a particular game.
An injury to Raphael Varane opened the door for Maguire to resume his regular place, but he was unable to convincingly nail down the position.
With Varane returning to fitness, United fans are hoping he remains healthy for the Red Devils’ resumption of the campaign.
That will likely see Maguire fight for playing time once more, and even Southgate must have their limits on how much trust they place in players who don’t play for their clubs.
While a move in January would be unlikely given United’s lack of coverage, it wouldn’t be impossible, particularly if they continue to have a good World Cup.
