Maguire to Saudi? Romano drops DEFINITIVE update on Man Utd star's future
Tom Weber
- Updated: 5 Sept 2023 10:51 BST
- 4 min read
Fabrizio Romano has sought to put to bed any and all rumours regarding Harry Maguire's future.
The former Manchester United captain was the subject of intense transfer speculation over the summer after he lost his place in the side. Ill-suited to Erik ten Hag's style which demands proactive defenders who are comfortable on the ball, Maguire found starting minutes hard to come by in the Dutchman's first season in charge.
Maguire appeared to be on his way out with speculation surrounding his future rarely subsiding over the course of the transfer window as United sought to offload him in order to fund a move for one of Ten Hag's preferred defensive options. But serious interest in his services was few and far between, with clubs likely wary of his wage demands.
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West Ham did manage to strike a deal with Man Utd, but it ultimately fell through and Maguire remained at Old Trafford as Deadline Day came and went. Some transfer windows are still open, however, and there has been renewed speculation about the England international's future after Ten Hag picked a not-fully-fit Victor Lindelof ahead of Maguire against Arsenal.
What did Romano say?
According to Fabrizio Romano, it is highly unlikely that Maguire will depart for Saudi Arabia or Turkey given that Man Utd cannot sign a replacement until January.
"Many questions on Harry Maguire," Romano said on his YouTube channel, "why he was not on the pitch [from the start] against Arsenal, why the manager decided to go for someone like Lindelof who was ill - guys, the situation of Harry Maguire, at the moment, is not linked to the transfer market."
"So, nothing is ongoing with any of the clubs who still have the market open in different continents or different countries. So, at the moment, everything is quiet around Maguire."
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"He wants to fight for his place. It's not an easy moment for Maguire, we know that very well. We also know that West Ham, in the final days of the transfer window after the deal collapsed for £30 million, tried to reactivate the Maguire story on loan, but for Man Utd, it was a 'no' because it was almost impossible to find another defender on a loan deal in the final days of the window."
"And so, at the moment, for Maguire, everything is absolutely quiet. Man Utd confirmed the player will stay at least until the January transfer window."
