Harry Maguire will leave Manchester United in the January transfer window, following his impressive performances for England during the World Cup campaign in Qatar, which ultimately ended with France in the quarter-final.
That’s the opinion of Ally McCoist, who spoke on TalkSPORT Breakfast earlier in the week.
“I think it will move,” McCoist said. I don’t think he can move; I’ll go one further, I think it will move.
“He is not going to stay, he wants to play.
“I don’t think there is any guarantee that he will return to the Manchester United team, not against Varane and Martinez.”
Having thrived away from Old Trafford, it could well be a transfer that would benefit all parties involved.
As Rangers legend has it, Maguire is highly unlikely to displace world-class defender Raphael Varane or Ten Hag favorite Lisandro Martinez.
Before the World Cup, the United captain was not even favored by Victor Lindelof by his manager, who often chose the Swede before him.
But Maguire was arguably one of the best-performing central defenders during the Qatar tournament, and McCoist believes he would be a good fit for teams competing at the top of the Premier League.
“Well, that’s up for debate,” he said when asked about Maguire’s next club.
“Clearly, he will want to play. Right off the bat, I’d say he’s good enough for the Spurs. Arsenal? Maybe not at this moment in time. But he has been one of the best players for England in the World Cup”.
Maguire would probably fit quite well in an Antonio Conte team. Regularly playing in a back three would allow the Englishman to fight for the ball more recklessly and without thinking about the dangers around him or behind him, where his spin speed is often on display at Old Trafford.
It would also allow him to make more effective use of his ability on the ball. While he can look heavy with only a fullback, a fellow center midfielder and a midfielder as passing options, the added support in the buildup could help Maguire speed up his game a bit.
After his performances on the international stage, the United captain would be a clear upgrade on the likes of Clement Lenglet, Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier. Conte’s deeper style of defense and his willingness to make his teams play at half-time could even see Maguire reach greater heights than he did with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
But talkSPORT pundit Andy Townsend disagrees with McCoist, believing a good World Cup was all Maguire needed to regain his place at Old Trafford.
“He will return to Manchester United in a much better state of mind,” he added.
“He will come back in a completely different frame of mind. He has found a lot more of his game, there is still a lot of room for improvement, but he has found his game, which had abandoned him for a long time.
“It’s been very, very difficult for him, so fair game to Harry for that. He didn’t disappoint anyone in the World Cup, he did his job and he did it well.
“He still has gears to find, but he will return to Manchester United now as a different player.”
