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Manchester United 'struggling to offload Harry Maguire due to summer pay rise'

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 06 July 2023

Man United 'struggling to offload Maguire due to summer pay rise'

Manchester United will allegedly find it even more difficult to sell Harry Maguire this summer due to the club captain receiving a pay rise in his contract.

Manchester United are reportedly finding it even more difficult to sell Harry Maguire due to the club captain receiving a pay rise at Old Trafford this summer.

The 30-year-old only made 31 appearances for the Red Devils during the 2022-23 campaign, with just 16 of those outings coming in the Premier League, with the skipper dropping down the pecking order.

Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof are all ahead of him when it comes to the starting roles in the middle of the defence, while Luke Shaw was preferred to Maguire at centre-back last season even when both Varane and Martinez were unavailable through injury.

Man United head coach Erik ten Hag is believed to be keen to sell the England international this summer to raise funds which could be reinvested in the squad.

However, according to The Guardian, 'a considerable wage rise' in Maguire's contract is making it challenging for the club to sell the defender in the current market.

Harry Maguire in action for Manchester United on September 8, 2022 © Reuters

The report claims that members of Man United's first-team squad were issued a salary increase due to the club securing a return to the Champions League for the 2023-24 campaign.

Maguire is allegedly open to switching clubs this summer but is not willing to take a financial hit, while he will be careful with his decision-making ahead of the 2024 European Championship.

As it stands, the defender is still considered to be a starter for England, but Three Lions head coach Gareth Southgate will find it incredibly difficult to name him in the first XI if he again struggles for action next term.

Maguire, who only started eight Premier League matches during the 2022-23 campaign, could allegedly be available for between £30m and £40m during the summer market.

Manchester United's Harry Maguire during training on July 11, 2022 © Reuters

Newcastle United and West Ham United have both been linked with the former Sheffield United youngster, while Paris Saint-Germain have also previously been credited with an interest.

Maguire made the move to Old Trafford from Leicester City in August 2019, and he has now featured on 175 occasions for the Red Devils, scoring seven goals and providing five assists in the process.

The defender has another two years left to run on his contract, meanwhile, with the option of a further year.

Maguire kept hold of the captaincy at Old Trafford last summer following Ten Hag's arrival, and he started the 2022-23 campaign in the team against Brighton & Hove Albion.

However, back-to-back poor showings against Brighton and Brentford saw him lose his spot, with Varane and Martinez becoming the first-choice centre-back pairing at the club.