Manchester United happy to sell £80 million star along with Cristiano Ronaldo in the January transfer window - Reports
Manager Erik ten Hag will reportedly be happy to part ways with Harry Maguire after tearing up Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United contract.
The Portugal icon has burned his bridges with the Old Trafford outfit after an explosive interview with Piers Morgan, where Ronaldo said he didn't respect Ten Hag. Following the comments, Ten Hag allegedly recommended that the club's board sack the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
Apart from Ronaldo, another big-name, big-money signing could be out the door at Manchester United in the near future. According to transfer insider Dean Jones, Ten Hag's unwillingness to play Maguire shows that he would be happy to offload him.
Jones told Give Me Sport:
"With Maguire, he’s shown he’s willing to leave him out and I think he’s probably willing to show that he’s happy to move him on too. Maguire cost a lot of money, though, and they’re not going to see anything like that sort of money again."
The Red Devils signed Maguire for £80 million in the summer of 2019 from Leicester City - a world-record fee for a defender. Jones concluded:
"That’s the problem for United. How much are they going to get for Harry Maguire in the summer transfer window?"
Maguire's stock has fallen dramatically and despite his selection for England's 26-man FIFA World Cup squad, he has been poor this season.
He captained Manchester United to harrowing defeats against Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion in the opening two games of the Premier League. Since then, he has been handed just 100 minutes of league action.
His contract expires in the summer of 2025 and the player turns 30 in March 2023. It's not hard to envisage the Manchester-based giants struggling to offload him for a sizable fee if they do transfer-list him.
Manchester United looking to sue Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's World Cup records 🏆 https://t.co/BBAjHl5Wd4
Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Manchester United is set to come to a bitter end.
As per ESPN, the club have initiated initial measures to terminate the former Real Madrid forward's contract and potentially sue him for a breach of contract. This could work in the favor of any team that may want to sign him.
Cristiano Ronaldo could become a free agent in the coming weeks and Chelsea have reportedly been linked with a move for him. His desire to play in the UEFA Champions League is well-documented, and an offer from the Blues could entice him.