Manchester United may have no choice but to accept Maguire's contract extension terms! Still more reliable than Jollo, with Serie A already submitting an offer.

Manchester United's £80 million record signing Harry Maguire endured massive criticism during his downturn, particularly around 2022, ranking second only to Ronaldo in the team for online harassment. In fact, even his own father Alan claimed he was a better central defender than Harry.

Old Maguire said he earned £350,000 weekly as a central defender back in the 1980s at Sheffield, which was a high income then. He played for Yorkshire’s Brensmill, a team that produced England star Chris Waddle. They played on rough pitches against tough opponents; today’s Maguire wouldn’t be able to cope in such conditions.

After last summer’s friendly against Everton, following a heated argument with his father in Atlanta, USA, Maguire smiled and revealed his trump card: “But Dad, I play for Manchester United and the England national team!”

Maguire’s mother, Zoe, couldn’t help but roll her eyes with a smile. Their quarrels don’t mean his father doesn’t support him. In fact, both parents have spent their lives traveling to watch their three sons play football, especially the most famous Harry, often being the only family members attending Manchester United matches.

Now, Maguire’s reputation has improved again, and he no longer faces booing from Manchester United fans. Although he hasn't won many titles, his career is certainly quite successful. After Manchester United's 3-2 victory over Arsenal, Maguire was named man of the match, dominating Arsenal’s center-back Gabriel, who angrily refused to shake hands afterward.

Maguire is just nine games shy of reaching 600 club appearances in his career, including 450 league matches. He has played 258 games for Manchester United. Over six years at Old Trafford, he averaged 41 appearances per season.

This season, Manchester United has only played 40 matches, so Maguire’s appearance numbers have naturally declined. He missed 9 games due to a calf injury, so he won’t reach 30 appearances this season.

In the Manchester United vs. Manchester City match, Carrick said starting Maguire was a risk. Actually, the risk was minimal because Maguire could have returned earlier but chose to come back fully fit rather than rushing. His partnership with Lisandro Martínez is considered quite successful, with their styles complementing each other.

Lisandro is not tall, which Maguire’s aerial ability compensates for; Maguire is slow turning, while Lisandro is quick and agile. Both have good ball skills. This season, Maguire started only six Premier League games, achieving 4 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, beating Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea, drawing with Spurs, and losing only to Brentford.

As Manchester United’s vice-captain and one of the locker room leaders, he often performs well in big matches, sometimes even scoring decisive goals. This is unsurprising since Maguire’s qualities suit a deeper defensive role, which he tends to play more against strong teams. When facing lower-ranked teams with a high press, his lack of speed becomes more dangerous.

In March this year, Maguire will turn 33. His contract with Manchester United expires at the end of this season without an automatic renewal clause. He is now eligible to negotiate freely with foreign clubs and even sign pre-contracts to join on a free transfer this summer. “Jingji Net” reports that Serie A and Turkish clubs have already offered contracts to his agent.

Maguire could also cash in by moving to the Saudi Professional League, where Brendan Rodgers, his former Leicester City coach, is currently managing. However, Maguire doesn’t want to move to the Middle East as he lives near Manchester with his wife Fern and two daughters, while his parents remain about an hour away in Sheffield.

Manchester United has yet to hold substantive talks with Maguire about his future. Both parties reportedly agree to wait until the season ends, focusing on matches now. Under Amroli’s coaching with a 3-4-3 formation, strengthening midfield was the priority, but United also considered signing a new center-back.

Carrick uses a 4-2-3-1 formation, favoring Maguire and Lisandro as his preferred defensive pairing alongside Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot. Both Maguire and Shaw are over 30 and not considered long-term prospects for United, but they currently perform well and have proven themselves in the Premier League over time.

The 26-year-old De Ligt has a similar style and comparable salary to Maguire, both earning £190,000 weekly. De Ligt played 42 times for United last season and started all 13 league games this season but has missed 11 matches recently due to a back injury.

Manchester United spent €70 million to snatch French defender Reni Jollo from Real Madrid, placing high hopes on him. However, at just 20 years old, he lacks consistency and cannot start every week. The coaching staff wants him to be more aggressive; otherwise, he will struggle to establish himself in the Premier League.

Nineteen-year-old Aiden Haven is another young defender who started eight Premier League games for Manchester United this season. Like Jollo, Haven occasionally has off days in performance.

Manchester United’s defense remains unstable, conceding 34 goals in 23 Premier League games—the worst record among the top 12 teams. Since Carrick took over, they have conceded 2 goals in 2 matches, showing little defensive improvement. If they don’t retain Maguire, who can the Red Devils bring in? There aren’t many outstanding center-backs available internationally.

According to Jingji Net, Carrick has recognized Maguire’s qualities as a player and person since Solskjær’s coaching era. However, Maguire’s future at Manchester United remains uncertain. Whether he signs a contract extension depends on the club’s offer regarding salary and contract length.

Therefore, Manchester United might ultimately compromise by reducing the pay cut for Maguire, allowing him to stay at least one more year. Previously, it was rumored that United offered him a one-year contract with a weekly wage of only £120,000, while Maguire wanted a two-year deal paying £150,000 per week.