Mocked and written off, Harry Maguire has not had it easy in recent years at Manchester United, but it is pleasing that the experienced defender has been fighting his way back into contention.
Stripped of the captaincy under Erik ten Hag in 2023, the 33-year-old is up and running under Michael Carrick, having enjoyed an impressive 2026 so far at club level.
It would not be enough to win what seemed to be worth the World Cup, but Thomas Tuchel and England’s loss could be United’s gain, with both Maguire and his teammate Luke Shaw given the summer away from the spotlight to recover and recharge.
On the evidence of Carrick’s tenure so far, it looks to all the world that Maguire and Lisandro Martinez will remain the first-choice defenders going into next season, although could that really change if signings are made this summer?
Man Utd in race to sign £60m defender
Midfield is where INEOS’ best interests lie, with reports suggesting a deal for Atalanta’s Ederson could be nearing, with the Brazilian representing the first of three midfielders to arrive this summer.
That does not mean that other areas of the team will be overlooked, however, the center of defense remains a concern due to the injury problems that Maguire, Martinez, Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt have faced so far.
Indeed, it was only last month that Ayden Heaven and Noussair Mazraoui started together in a win over Chelsea, while Maguire has yet to reach 20 league appearances in any of the past four seasons.
|
Maguire at Man Utd – PL record |
||
|---|---|---|
|
The season |
It starts |
Minutes |
|
25/26 |
19 |
1667 |
|
24/25 |
19 |
1764 |
|
23/24 |
18 |
1667 |
|
22/23 |
8 |
778 |
|
21/22 |
28 |
2514 |
|
20/21 |
34 |
3048 |
|
19/20 |
38 |
3420 |
That search has seen United pursue Tottenham Hotspur’s Micky van de Ven, although the Dutchman appears to be interested in a move to Liverpool.
We shouldn’t worry though, as Van de Ven’s Spurs team-mate Luka Vuskovic is also on United’s radar by all accounts, with SportsBoom reporting that Carrick and his team-mates are targeting the 19-year-old.
According to the report, a number of top European clubs, including the Red Devils, have applied to sign the Croatian player, including players such as Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona.
The north London side will not let the youngster go on the cheap, however, with an estimated €70m (£60m) outlay.
Why the signing of Vuskovic could spell bad news for Maguire
No, you are not missing anything. Vuskovic has not been part of Spurs’ disappointing Premier League campaign this season, having not featured against his parent club so far.
Originally signed early from Hajduk Split in late 2023, Vuskovic then spent the 2024/25 season on loan at Belgian side Westerlo, before officially joining Tottenham last summer.
Another loan move to Hamburg followed, with the 6 foot 4 star picking up where he left off last season, proving vital to the club’s Bundesliga survival.
He may only be 19 years old, but Vuskovic has all the makings of a top defender in the game, with him even being hailed as “like a defender. [William] Saliba” by commentator and Como scout, Ben Mattinson.
In the case of Saliba, the Frenchman was snapped up by Arsenal as a teenager in 2019, although he did not force his way into the first-team picture under Mikel Arteta until the 2022/23 season.
Spurs will be hoping that Vuskovic follows a similar path, although it is unlikely if United and Europe can help him, as the Croatian international is clearly a talented player.
Like Maguire, who has built up a catalog of goals in a United shirt, the youngster’s most notable feature is his prowess in the opposition box, having scored six goals in the Bundesliga this season, after netting seven times in Belgium.
To say the papers are about defensive shortcomings would be a mistake, however, and Vuskovic is also something of a beast at the heart of defence, as his form in 2025/26 has revealed.
In Germany’s top flight, the right-footed player won 68% of his overall duels and 75% of his aerial contests, making nine big clearances per game in his 28 outings.
In comparison, in the Premier League this season, Maguire – who started only 19 times – won 70% of his separate games and 75% of his aerial duels, although he averaged 4.6 clearances per game.
Maguire’s immobility has also been a problem at times, conceding penalties against Fulham and Bournemouth, while he was denied Liverpool’s first goal at Old Trafford earlier this month.
Vuskovic seems to boast of the England player’s strength, but with great speed and athleticism, boasting all the qualities to ensure he can fit in well for any top team in Europe.
By all accounts, he will be a Saliba-esque figure for a long time, should they sign a deal, with United needing to make sure they don’t miss an opportunity to fix their defense for the next decade or so.
