- Harry Maguire's England spot under threat
- Gareth Southgate fires warning to 30-year-old
- Defender struggling for Manchester United minutes
WHAT HAPPENED? The centre-back started just eight Premier League games last season as he fell behind Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane in the defensive pecking order at Old Trafford. As a result, the 30-year-old has been linked with moves to Tottenham, Newcastle United and Aston Villa.
WHAT THEY SAID: Southgate has regularly picked the United captain for England, despite his minutes drying up at club level and his apparent loss of confidence. However, that could change as the Three Lions boss has stressed the importance of him and Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips getting regular game time going forward.
"Harry is captain of an incredible football club so that is a difficult situation, he will obviously be frustrated not to play as much as he would like but I think he has handled that really well, he has publicly talked well about supporting the team," he said. “It is clear, really. I think Harry and Kalvin are the two who have played the least in terms of guys in this squad this season but we have gone with them because in these two positions we think they are still ahead of others that might have played more. But it is then hard when that competition gets more even and you are not playing regularly to see their form, see their fitness so that is the challenge for everybody.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: The future of Maguire, who signed for United from Leicester City in 2019 for £80 million, is somewhat up in the air. It seems unlikely the 6ft 4in defender will be first choice at United next season, and although he is reportedly eager to stay put, a parting of ways could be in the best interests of both parties.
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WHAT NEXT? After starting both of England's recent Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and Macedonia in June, Maguire is set for a summer break. It remains to be seen if the defender, whose contract expires in 2025, will be part of the Red Devils' plans for 2023/24.