Manchester United coach, Erik ten Hag has said it’s up to Harry Maguire if he leaves the club this summer after admitting that the dropped captain is unhappy with his situation.
Maguire, the club’s captain started only eight league games after losing his place following August’s 4-0 thrashing at Brentford and is Ten Hag’s third-choice right-sided centre-back, after Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof.
England manager Gareth Southgate reently described Maguire’s situation as “concerning” and suggested it will be hard to continue to pick him if he does not get regular first-team football.
Ten Hag said he is keen to keep the £80m defender, who has two years left on his contract, and it will be Maguire’s choice if he moves now.
“No one would be happy with this situation,” Ten Hag told the Times. “He is not as well. He trains always on best levels, so with 100 per cent effort. So he handles that situation well and he’s in that manner and in his captaincy he’s important for the squad. Let’s say I’m happy he’s here and when we needed him he did his job. But it’s also a decision he has to make.”
Ten Hag also said that David de Gea may be on the bench at times if he stays at Old Trafford.
The goalkeeper’s contract expires in the summer and the Dutchman reiterated that both club and player are keen for him to re-sign but warned that he may not regular game time.
The manager said: “I will not say he’ll always be my No. 1 because in a club like Man United there must be competition in all positions.”