Harry Maguire’s pay rise makes selling defender harder for Manchester United

Champions League place brought squad salary increases

CHALLENGING: Manchester United's Harry Maguire on the bench prior to kick-off in the Premier League match at the London Stadium.

Harry Maguire’s salary increase as a result of Manchester United qualifying for the Champions League is making it more challenging to sell the defender. Erik ten Hag wants to raise the finance required to buy a goalkeeper and centre-forward and may need to replace Maguire if his captain does depart.

In line with the rest of United’s squad Maguire was rewarded with a considerable wage rise after last season’s third-place finish took the club back into the Champions League after Europa League football.

The 30-year-old has lost his first-choice status under Ten Hag and player and manager are open to parting ways. Yet Maguire’s increased pay means he will measure any prospective move against the potential loss of earnings as well as weighing up whether it would be the correct football decision for a centre-back who wishes to remain an automatic choice for England.

Ten Hag began the window with a budget of about £120m, just under half of which has been spent on the initial £55m purchase of Mason Mount from Chelsea. This means he has to raise funds to add the elite goalkeeper and No 9 he wants. Maguire, who cost £80m, could bring in £30m-£40m given his age, decline in form and the two years left on his contract.

The manager is also prepared to sell Fred, who at 30 and with a year on his deal may draw about £30m. The 21-year-old Anthony Elanga is also for sale and has terms until 2026 so he too could draw about £30m. Scott McTominay would be allowed to depart only if United receive a considerable offer because Ten Hag regards the midfielder as a valuable squad member.

If Maguire, Fred and Elanga were sold this would raise a maximum £100m which, added to the £65m left in Ten Hag’s initial budget, would give him £165m for a goalkeeper, striker and a centre-back to replace Maguire.

United have made a verbal offer of £39m for André Onana, though Internazionale value their goalkeeper at closer to £51m. Ten Hag is an admirer of the Atalanta centre-forward Rasmus Højlund.

One option regarding replacing Maguire should he depart would be for Ten Hag to field Luke Shaw in central defence as he did last season. But this is not thought to be the manager’s preference.

Guardian