Manchester United blocked any chance of Harry Maguire leaving the club this summer – but the defender feels it would be “silly” to want to quit now anyway.
United triggered an option on Maguire’s contract in January, keeping him at Old Trafford for a further year, at a point when head coach Ruben Amorim said his squad was “starved of leaders”.
There have been instances in the past of extensions being granted purely to ensure United could still get a fee for a player if they were sold.
This was not one of those occasions.
Maguire says there was interest in him this summer. However, United’s hierarchy made it clear he wasn’t leaving.
“Last year, the clause was in their hands,” he said. “There was no option for me there. There was no talking. It was just they activated it and it got extended.
“I’m pretty sure the club made it clear this summer that I can’t leave on any terms. A a couple of clubs enquired and I think they got a quick response.”
It does mean Maguire’s contract now expires next summer, allowing him to talk to other clubs in January.
He rejected the idea of joining West Ham two summers ago after United accepted a bid for him.
The 32-year-old, who cost £80m when he joined United from Leicester in 2019, has an idea of his preferred option, but is keeping quiet on that for now.
However, he can feel the revolution going on behind the scenes since Sir Jim Ratcliffe bought into the club as minority shareholder at the end of 2023.
And while last season was their worst in the league since their relegation year in 1973-74 – and they opened the new campaign with a 1-0 home defeat by Arsenal – Maguire feels the club are in their best place since he arrived.
“I’m sure over the next few months we’ll have to have a conversation about where we want to go and if they want to extend,” he said.
“Obviously, I have something in my mind about what I want to do and where I want to be.
“I don’t want to put it out there to everybody but it’s an amazing club to play for and you’d be silly if you wanted to jump out of it as soon as you could.
“The hierarchy has come in, with [technical director] Jason [Wilcox] and the manager, and I feel like they’re taking it in the right direction.
“Since I started six years ago to now, it’s in a completely different place in terms of the structure behind the management staff.
“We’re in a good place. A lot better place.”
