Harry Maguire has issued a warning to Manchester United, indicating his potential departure in January if he doesn’t receive more first-team opportunities. He has defended his form by highlighting his impressive win percentage.
The English international was limited to just eight Premier League starts last season and was widely anticipated to leave Old Trafford during the summer after losing the club captaincy.
West Ham United expressed interest in signing the center-back, but the proposed transfer fell through due to a fee disagreement between the two clubs.
United’s defense has been significantly affected by injuries in the early months of this season. Lisandro Martinez is expected to be sidelined until December, and Raphael Varane has struggled to maintain fitness.
Maguire received his first start of the campaign against Brentford, where he set up Scott McTominay’s dramatic winning goal.
However, with Erik ten Hag favoring Victor Lindelof in the defense, Maguire is expected to return to the bench once Varane is fit again. Furthermore, Jonny Evans is also competing for starting positions.
Maguire is determined to secure his place in the England squad for Euro 2024 next summer. He made it clear that he would not accept “playing once a month” and that he would seek a transfer if the situation didn’t improve.
“I am not going to sit here all my life and play once a month. If it carries on, I am sure myself and the club will sit down and have a chat about things,” Maguire stated ahead of England’s matches against Australia and Italy.
He continued, “It’s not my decision whether I start the next game for United or not. In a couple of weeks, I’ll go back and find out. I have belief in my ability, and it’s been tough.
I want to play games and feel important to the club. At the moment, I haven’t been playing anywhere near as much as I would like. That is the bottom line.”
Despite the manager’s preference for other defensive options, Maguire believes his “ridiculously high” win percentage under ten Hag should warrant his opportunities.
“I just have to make sure I am ready to take opportunities when they come along,” Maguire added. “My record under this manager speaks for itself. My win percentage when I’ve played is ridiculously high.
If you look back on my last 15 to 20 starts for club and country, I’m really happy with my performances. At the moment, I am focused on two big games for England and then on fighting to try and win my place back at Manchester United and help the team climb the league.”