'Madness!' - Man Utd players' true thoughts on Harry Maguire revealed as popular defender nears end of contract

Reported by The Sun, the United dressing room have ‘made clear’ their feelings on Maguire and would like to see the experienced centre-back stay at the club and sign a new deal, extending his stay at Old Trafford beyond 2026.

Maguire’s Red Devils team-mates are said to be ‘united in the view’ that the player should remain at the club, valuing his contribution both on and off the pitch and his role in mentoring the younger players in the back line.

The 32-year-old has had a turbulent time at Old Trafford since his record-breaking £80 million ($109m) move from Leicester City in 2019, still remaining a world-record fee paid for a defender. But he has seen somewhat of a resurgence in recent seasons, leading by example at the back and even scoring unforgettable winning goals against Lyon, in the Europa League quarter-finals last year, and Liverpool at Anfield earlier this campaign.

A source told The Sun on the United dressing room’s feelings towards Maguire: “The players think it would be madness if he was not offered a new deal.

“Harry has endured plenty of ups and downs at United but has come through all that and is playing really well.

“He’s very well-respected in the dressing room and is passing on a lot of knowledge to some of the younger players like Ayden Heaven and Leny Yoro.

“Everyone likes him and respects him and the majority of the players want the club to give him a deal.”

Maguire is on a reported £190,000-a-week salary at present and any new deal offered to the Sheffield-born star is likely to see a significant wage reduction, potentially to a contract with more performance-related bonuses.

Having shone for Leicester and at the 2018 World Cup with England, Maguire earnt his record-breaking move to Old Trafford and was initially a success in his early seasons at the club. Named as captain by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2020, he was later stripped of captaincy by Erik ten Hag in 2023 and came close to leaving the club on multiple occasions amidst media criticism and scrutiny.

But Maguire’s return to form and his continued importance behind the scenes has served as a strong example to the less experienced members of the squad. Most recently, Maguire was named Man of the Match in United’s 3-2 win away at leaders Arsenal in the Premier League and is forming a strong partnership with Lisandro Martinez under Michael Carrick after recently returning from a thigh injury.

Carrick said of Maguire after his performance against Manchester City, in his return to the side for the first time since November: “I thought it gave us a strong foundation really with Licha [Martinez] and Harry. I felt it was a game for experience and knowing what it feels like. It was a big ask for H [Maguire] and credit to him. I think we can take for granted sometimes what players do but for him to play today and come through it. 

“I’m not going to lie, it was a bit of a calculated gamble as well of how long he could play and if he could get through it because he’s literally trained for two or three days for probably eight or nine weeks, so it just shows you what it means really to him. I thought he was fantastic. Between him and Licha, they were so solid at the back and gave us the foundation to build on.”

Amidst recent reports that Maguire is ‘increasingly likely’ to earn a new contract at Old Trafford, his future will become clear in the coming months amid an important end to the season for his club. If the defender can play a key role in helping his side qualify for the Champions League, his and his team-mates’ case for the defender to be offered a new deal will only become greater.