Manchester United club captain Harry Maguire has been urged to leave Old Trafford and move to Chelsea this summer after the England defender was dropped for the Red Devils’ 2-1 win over Liverpool on Monday. United boss Erik ten Hag preferred new signing Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane in the heart of the defence, and the decision has prompted fresh calls for Maguire to move elsewhere in the final week of the transfer window.
Chelsea have been previously linked with a move for Maguire, as they reportedly enquired about the possibility of signing the centre-back with winger Christian Pulisic going the other way in a potential swap deal.
Thomas Tuchel’s side have been actively looking to bolster their defensive options, with Leicester’s Wesley Fofana heavily linked with a move while United’s pursuits of Antony and Cody Gakpo show that another winger could be brought into the club.
Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit believes that time is up for Maguire at United and has urged the 29-year-old to move to Stamford Bridge in the final week of the transfer window. “For me, I’m not sure his future is laying with Manchester United,” Petit told Fair Betting Sites. “I think things have gone too far.
“To be honest with you, if I am Maguire, I would probably think about leaving. Because the World Cup is coming, so if I’m not playing, that means my position in the national team is in danger as well. All the dangers are surrounding him.
“He needs to take a very strong decision for his future right now. If I’m Maguire, I cannot see myself playing the next game. Ten Hag has been convinced with Varane and Martinez – I can guarantee they will play the next game. And if they play well and they win again, he will never change his team. That means Maguire can spend weeks on the bench, looking at his team-mates.
“He needs to take a big decision. If he wants to play for Chelsea, that could be good for him. I think he would probably play, because Thiago Silva is aged, and they need a central defender. I think it’s a win-win position for Chelsea and Maguire. If I am Maguire, I would leave Manchester United.”
Ten Hag explained why he left Maguire out of the side that defeated Liverpool, and claimed that the defender still has a big part to play this season. “You look at the approach to this game, we have a squad, a lot of games to cover, and we thought for this game it was best to make these changes,” Ten Hag said. “It doesn’t mean anything for the future.
“Varane is a really experienced player, he’s won everything in his career and will bring the communication in the back four, but that’s also what Harry does. We want mobility and agility in the back four, so that’s also why we have decided to play with the other three.”
