According to rumours, Tottenham are ready to ‘accelerate’ their efforts to sign Manchester United defender Harry Maguire this summer.
Erik ten Hag made the decision last week to remove Maguire as captain and replace him with Bruno Fernandes for the next Premier League season.
It comes after the England international fell down the pecking order at Manchester United last season, with Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez emerging as Ten Hag’s favorite center-back partnership.
The writing appeared to be on the wall for Maguire last season, with left-back Luke Shaw starting ahead of him at times, and the former Sheffield United centre-back is now set to weigh his options.
Maguire must return to regular football as soon as possible if he is to be in Gareth Southgate’s England side for Euro 2024.
And now, according to the Spanish daily Fichajes, Tottenham are going to ‘accelerate’ their efforts to capture Maguire this summer, with ‘his days numbered at Manchester United’.
Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou is launching a “new sports project” in north London, but for the time being, he wants to “focus all of his efforts on Maguire.”
Tottenham have surfaced as a ‘potential destination’ for the England international, with Postecoglou drawn to the Manchester United defender’s ‘experience and leadership’.
Varane, Maguire’s teammate at Old Trafford, seems pleased by Ten Hag’s daring choice to alter the captaincy.
Varane told ESPN: “He wants a team with character and he’s the leader so he has to show it himself.
“He’s not scared to take these decisions and take that responsibility. That is what we expect from the manager. He did it so I think, with things like this, you show by example.
“He knows exactly what he wants. He’s shown that determination and from the first day we’ve known exactly what we’ve had to do and where he wants to go. It’s all clear for the players and for the team and we have a good connection with the manager.”
Despire rumours that Ten Hag wants Maguire out of Man Utd, the Dutchman claimed earlier this week that the centre-back can still force his way back into his starting XI.
“Everyone can understand it is disappointing for a player, but it can actually work out well for the team and for Harry,” Ten Hag said.
The Man Utd boss continued: “He stays an important player. He can fight himself into the team. He has potential and it’s up to him to get his position.
“Now he can focus more on his role, but a centre-back has to communicate and organise. It’s a big area where you have to perform as a centre-half.”
