Tottenham Hotspur reportedly want Manchester United castaway

Tottenham is reportedly interested in Manchester Unite’s Harry Maguire, with the Telegraph saying it would help convince Harry Kane to stay put. 

It’s unclear whether Daniel Levy and Scott Munn are spearheading the rumour or if Maguire is on the new manager Ange Postecoglou’s wishlist.

It also feels a bit simplistic to think that Kane would be swayed to stay if Tottenham secures Maguire’s signature.

I doubt it’s coming from Postecoglou, who was only just officially announced as Tottenham’s manager. The question is whether Maguire is an upgrade on Eric Dier, who struggled to excel in Antonio Conte’s starting 11 last season.

There are bundles of speculation about the prospect of Tottenham selling Dier, whose struggles over previous seasons are well documented. The Englishman is prone to committing grave errors and hasn’t been good enough in one-on-one situations.

Maguire became a fringe player at United even before Erik ten Hag took over. But since the Dutchman’s arrival at Old Trafford, Maguire has barely got a sniff of first-team action.

The 30-year-old England center-back is under contract until June 2025 and could still have a handful of solid years left at an elite level.

For a chance at a resurgence, it is crucial for Maguire to leave Manchester United immediately, as he is clearly not in ten Hag’s plans.

While there is merit in signing Maguire, it doesn’t feel like he would be the center-back that Postecoglou would choose for his 4-3-3 system.

For that to work, Maguire would need to have excellent distribution, be fleet of foot and be dominant in one-on-one situations. His distribution is often consistently good, but the other two facets of his game have let him down.

In Maguire’s defence, he is a solid leader and character to have in the dressing room. But his lack of pace is a crucial shortcoming that Postecoglou will find a critical deterrent.

Let’s see how this situation develops, but it’s one to keep your eyes on. Though I’m sure, Postecoglou will have his unadulterated opinion on the topic when he arrives at Hotspur Way.