Harry Maguire no longer has to live in a miserable period because of criticism like in 2022. He has chosen to remain silent, dedicate himself and return more often to the starting lineup of the "Red Devils".
Last weekend, when he and Man United defeated Arsenal right at the Emirates, Maguire celebrated his 450th Premier League appearance in a total of 591 professional matches. Since joining Old Trafford, after 6 seasons, Maguire has played an average of 41 matches/season. Maguire's career has also witnessed many injuries but he always returns with the most professional spirit and attitude.
Including the two most recent matches, Maguire has only started 6 matches in the Premier League since the beginning of the season. However, the results of each appearance are very good. In 4 of those matches, Man United have defeated formidable opponents such as Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea, besides the draw against Tottenham and only lost to Brentford. From last season until now, Maguire has always scored very important goals and he is considered a factor creating special moments.
However, at this point, the English center-back's future at Old Trafford is still unclear. Maguire is preparing to turn 33 in March 2026 and his contract will expire this summer. Many teams in Italy and Turkey have expressed interest in having the 32-year-old center-back's services.
Since last summer, Man United's transfer stories have only revolved around midfield and strikers. Therefore, Maguire's future is still uncertain at this time. Currently, Michael Carrick's favorite central defender pair is Maguire - Martinez, so if put on the negotiating table for extension, Maguire will have an advantage as he is an irreplaceable factor.
Harry Maguire (32 years old), Luke Shaw (30 years old) - they do not represent the future of Man United, but the factors of experience, dressing room stability and bravery are still outstanding, which can help this couple go another short journey with the Old Trafford home team.
The remaining players such as Ayden Heaven, Matthijs de Ligt or Leny Yoro will be the future of the "Red Devils'" defense. This pair is still young, at full age and receives a fairly high salary. Man United will definitely use them in the near future, but in Carrick's temporary transition period, the best positions will be prioritized.
If Man United put Maguire's future on the negotiating table to consider selling, they also have to answer one question themselves, who will they buy in that position in the context that there are not many good central defenders left in the market? If they are allowed to participate in the Champions League next season, Man United should then consider adding to the current force, everything should be kept stable so that Carrick can go all the way from now until the end of the season.
When participating in the Champions League, the players' salaries also increased again, reaching 100% instead of 75% as at present. At that time, Maguire's salary will be the main topic discussed during negotiations because he is currently receiving a figure of more than 300,000 pounds/week. If Maguire wants to stay, the figure in the new contract will not exceed the salary ceiling that INEOS is applying, which is 200,000 pounds/week.
Among the 4 highest-paid players of Man United, only Bruno Fernandes' future is certain. Casemiro has said goodbye and is playing his last matches, Marcus Rashford only wants to stay at Camp Nou to play for Barcelona, while Harry Maguire is still unclear. If the Rashford case is resolved definitively, Man United may be easier to sign an extension with Maguire when the salary fund is guaranteed.
There is another factor to make Maguire's future at Man United more certain, which is playing regularly, thereby being named in Thomas Tuchel's 2026 World Cup squad. The extension with Maguire will have more grounds to calculate for INEOS if this center-back is to fight with the England national team. If Maguire plays well from now until the end of the season and also plays well at the World Cup, there is no reason why he should not be kept.
In the immediate future, to ensure staying at Old Trafford, Maguire needs to play well to help the team win a Champions League ticket next season. When the team has more funds to spend, everything related to the contract will be easier to talk about.
