Ten Hag ‘pleased’ with Man Utd’s decision to overlook West Ham offer for Maguire

Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, expressed his satisfaction with Harry Maguire’s decision to reject an offer from West Ham and stay at Old Trafford. Although West Ham submitted a £30 million bid for Maguire, the player chose not to proceed with the transfer due to disagreements over personal terms.

Maguire is expected to remain with Manchester United after the transfer window closes, despite being the team’s fourth-choice center-back behind Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, and Victor Lindelof.

Ten Hag had already removed Maguire from the captaincy role due to his limited involvement in the previous season, where he started only eight Premier League matches. Nevertheless, the United manager voiced no objections to Maguire’s decision to stay.

“I am happy Harry Maguire is here. He will have to compete for his position, just like everyone else in the squad,” Ten Hag stated in a press conference on Friday.

“He is aware of what I expect from him as a center-back. I believe he has the capabilities to meet those expectations, and now he has to prove it.”

Maguire was left on the bench as an unused substitute in United’s 1-0 victory against Wolves in their season opener. When Lisandro Martinez got injured, Lindelof replaced him, further challenging Maguire’s position. Nevertheless, Ten Hag encouraged Maguire to demonstrate his worth and earn a place in the starting lineup.

“It is a question of character and being convinced to play that role. Maguire possesses all the abilities required to do so,” the manager added.

Ten Hag acknowledged the need for a strong defensive lineup, with four capable center-backs including Luke Shaw, as the team is expected to play a significant number of games this season. He emphasized the importance of having experienced players to handle the load.

Jonny Evans, aged 35, remains a potential addition to Manchester United’s squad despite Maguire’s presence. Evans initially joined on a short-term deal to participate in the team’s pre-season fixtures in July. Talks are ongoing between Ten Hag and Evans, who watched the Wolves game from the director’s box at Old Trafford.

“At the moment, he is not under contract, but we are in discussions. We will see. When we have any updates, we will announce them,” Ten Hag disclosed about the former United center-back who left for West Brom in 2015.

Recently, Manchester United released a club statement regarding the ongoing internal investigation involving Mason Greenwood. The young player has been suspended by the team since January 2022 due to allegations related to a young woman, following the circulation of images and videos online. Six months ago, the Crown Prosecution Service discontinued the case, which had included charges of attempted rape and assault against Greenwood.

While some fans protested Greenwood’s potential return to the first-team set-up, Ten Hag asserted that the issue would not affect him or the team’s focus on the upcoming match against Tottenham.

“We concentrate on our style of play and the team’s performance. Our attention is on the available players, and we are preparing for the Tottenham match,” he concluded.