According to rumours, Man Utd has targeted AC Milan defender Fikayo Tomori as a potential Harry Maguire replacement.
Erik ten Hag is still searching for a long-term replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, who left at the end of November following a contentious interview with Piers Morgan, thus the Red Devils will be spending most of their efforts on bringing in a new centre-forward in the summer transfer market.
Although there are persistent reports to the contrary, Ten Hag is said to favour the centre-back pairing of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane, and both Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof may depart Old Trafford in the summer.
If that were the case, Man Utd would then attempt to sign another centre-back, according to the Daily Mail, which also claims that Man Utd is ‘keeping eyes’ on Tomori, who on Tuesday night helped AC Milan advance to the semifinals of the Champions League.
The Serie A powerhouses signed England international Tomori permanently the following summer after he won the Scudetto in his debut season after he left Chelsea on loan to AC Milan in 2021.
Opportunities at Chelsea were scarce, and Tomori spent time on loan at Brighton, Hull City, and Derby County before moving to Milan.
According to The Daily Mail, Manchester United and Tottenham have taken notice of Tomori’s “impressive season” as they attempt to bolster their defences.
The tabloid goes on to say that Varane “has struggled with fitness issues over the last two years” and that “Maguire’s future at the club is far from certain” as other reasons why Man Utd could want to sign Tomori.
It should come as no surprise that Milan is “keen to keep Tomori” at the San Siro and that “it will take a huge offer to lure him away,” according to the article.
Although he is now seeing action in the team owing to injuries, Maguire has failed to find regular playing time this year, and former Manchester United striker Louis Saha believes he has to go on.
Harry Maguire must search for a move away from Manchester United because his form will deteriorate as he won’t play much, Saha told Paddy Power in February.
Maguire takes too many touches due to the way United defends, dominating and playing forward-thinking football, and they miss the chance to draw the opposition’s attention to them. That is what occurs when you lack confidence.
“We observe that when opponents push Raphael Varane or Lisandro Martinez; unlike Maguire, they are able to handle pressure with ease. Even if the club captain isn’t playing, he still smiles, which is difficult to observe.
“He’s also a highly vital player for England, so no one will be offended at him for wanting to play more minutes. He needs playing time, and a squad that plays highly close defence and attacks opponents on the break would benefit from his approach.
But for now, United needs a very calm and quick defender who can keep up the quality in the attacking third. Maguire must immediately advance and use every opportunity to help the squad if he wants to stay.
A significant challenge awaits Maguire. He can play for Manchester United, but with the quality in the team ahead of him, he won’t get the playing time he needs to stay at the top.