Manchester United fear Maguire may leave, potentially forced to improve contract terms! Carrick says one of his advantages is priceless.

With Harry Maguire's contract nearing its end, English reports disclose that Manchester United are becoming more worried about the possibility of him leaving. At 32, Maguire's contract no longer contains a priority extension option, having been exercised last year, which allows him to freely select his future destination.

There are concerns within Manchester United that if Sir Jim Ratcliffe insists on reducing Maguire's wages too drastically, he might choose to leave the club, similar to Casemiro. This is not just about income, but also about respect. Mason Mount, signed for £60 million, has been plagued by injuries and contributed little, yet still earns £250,000 per week, while Ratcliffe wants Maguire's salary cut to £100,000 or even lower.

The UK's Daily Mail reports that Manchester United's hierarchy is indeed growing more anxious about the possibility of Maguire leaving. Maguire is genuinely keen to stay at United, but he has to accept a pay cut. Maguire agrees to this, but he hopes for a weekly wage around £120,000 to £150,000 on a two-year contract, whereas the club only wants to extend for one year.

Ultimately, Maguire's agent may open talks with other clubs for a free transfer; he already turned down offers from Serie A's AC Milan and Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in January. Next week, Maguire will turn 33, but his future remains uncertain.

If he moves to Saudi Arabia, Maguire's salary would certainly be much higher than at United; if he chooses to play in Serie A, the income might be lower, but Maguire could secure a guaranteed starting role, where his age is still relatively young. Staying at United, once Matthijs de Ligt recovers and stays fit, Maguire would definitely not start every match.

Maguire has not always received recognition at Manchester United. Apart from being arrested in 2020 during a family holiday in Mykonos, Greece, after being involved in a brawl, Maguire has been booed by his own fans while playing for both club and country, and even faced bomb threats.

He was once sidelined by Manchester United and stripped of the captaincy. If not for a disagreement over wage compensation in the summer 2023 transfer window, Maguire might have been sold to West Ham United for £30 million.

Throughout it all, Maguire has maintained his dignity, remaining loyal even when United did not always show trust in him. Those who have worked with Maguire describe him as an excellent team player, always facing difficulties head-on and caring for those around him. In a match against Everton, when young teammate Leny Yoro was pushed to the ground by defender James Tarkowski, Maguire stood up for Yoro, shoving the opponent into the goalpost.

During his time at Manchester United, Maguire has played under seven different managers, some of whom highly valued him, while others did not. Yet most of these managers relied on his help at specific stages, including Erik ten Hag, who removed his club captaincy and intended to sell him—were it not for Maguire's goals, Ten Hag might have been sacked earlier. Even before being stripped of the captaincy, Maguire had anticipated that Ten Hag would give the armband to Bruno Fernandes.

Later, in a preseason friendly against Borussia Dortmund in Las Vegas, USA, Ten Hag's signing André Onana angrily confronted Maguire over a mistake, but Maguire did not retaliate. Beyond his priceless experience, this attitude is one reason why Carrick believes United should keep Maguire. In the six matches Carrick managed, Maguire started all, helping the team keep three clean sheets.

"He is very stable and consistent in his emotional expression," a source told the Daily Mail. "When young players see him, they must think, 'He's been through so much without saying a word, what do we have to complain about?'"

At this stage of his career, approaching 33, it is entirely understandable that Maguire wants more contract security. Maguire is very close to his family; his parents, Zoe and Alan, often travel the world to watch his games, his brothers Laurence and Joe are both players, and his sister Daisy works in sports and entertainment, so the Sheffield-born Maguire prefers to stay in Manchester, also in the Northwest.

Carrick even stated that Maguire is in the best form of his career. Therefore, United may ultimately compromise on salary and contract length. Former United captain Steve Bruce believes Maguire deserves a new contract at United and a place in England's World Cup squad.

"I think Harry (Maguire) has long been made a scapegoat at Manchester United," Bruce explained. "But I don't think he has ever let United down. In fact, he has never let England down either. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he gets a new contract after the World Cup. I feel a centre-back's performance improves with age, and over the past five or six weeks, he has proven his quality again, if he ever needed to prove it."