Not Diallo, United star confirms 'positive' talks over new contract, club must avoid negotiations - opinion
Manchester United secured a sensational 2-1 comeback win over Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday evening.
The Red Devils struggled to create any clear-cut chances in the opening half at the Etihad Stadium and were restricted to zero shots on target.
City went into the break with a handy 1-0 lead. They looked on course for a victory before a stunning turnaround during the closing stages.
United bagged two goals in the space of just 115 seconds to register a dramatic derby win.
Amad Diallo was the star of the show. The Ivorian won a penalty before scoring the winner.
Harry Maguire was equally good in the Manchester derby on the road. The Englishman was picked on the right side of the back three ahead of Leny Yoro.
He repaid the manager’s faith with a strong performance. He won 100 percent of his ground duels with three clearances, three recoveries and five interceptions.
Speaking after the game, Maguire said that he is not thinking about his contract at the moment, but added that talks have been ‘really positive’ over a renewal.
He said (via BBC Sport): “My contract is not something I had thought too much about but all the signs are positive at the moment and the chat that I’m having is really positive.”
United should avoid negotiating new deal with Maguire
Maguire has been in-and-out of the starting line-up for the past couple of years. He was at the top of his game against City as he comfortably handled Erling Haaland’s threat.
Despite this, we don’t believe the club should proceed with contract talks. The 31-year-old is no longer in the prime of his career and it would represent a backward step to prolong his stay.
He is currently on a hefty salary of £190,000 per week. This has previously proved a huge stumbling block in offloading him when West Ham United were interested in his services.
Maguire reportedly wanted a big pay-off from United to accept a salary reduction at the Hammers.
In our view, the club should look beyond Maguire unless he is prepared to accept a significant pay-cut in the region of £100,000 per week and has no concerns over a back-up role.
Lisandro Martinez, Matthijs de Ligt and Yoro could be manager Ruben Amorim’s regular picks in the back three in future. Noussair Mazraoui could play as a wing-back or in defence depending on rotation.
Amorim would ideally want another left-footed central defender in the ranks. We would personally prefer the club to sign Goncalo Inacio or Jarrad Branthwaite over keeping Maguire.
A final decision could be made towards the end of the season. Maguire’s contract expires in June 2025 with an option for another year. Amorim could have the final say on the clause.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Capology.com
Article written by Sri Aswin .