Maguire reveals final demand for Manchester United contract renewal, comments on red card suspension! Return to national team makes mother cry

Manchester United's contract renewal negotiations with Harry Maguire are nearing completion, but the 33-year-old English center-back himself disclosed the last requirement for staying at the club: a guarantee of playing time. He will only sign the new contract if he is convinced he can still compete for a starting position during the contract period.

According to Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United has offered Maguire a one-year contract with an option for an additional season. Maguire will accept a salary reduction, but he does not want to lower his status within the team.

Maguire stated: "I believe we can reach an agreement that benefits both the club and me. Regarding the contract details, I think you will know within a few weeks. Yes, I can assure you that whether I stay or leave, this matter will be resolved as soon as possible, and I believe it should be resolved quickly."

"I love the club, but the contract also needs to be favorable to me personally, without harming the club's interests," Maguire continued to explain. "I cannot stay solely for emotional reasons. I stay not only because I want to, but also because the club wants me to continue leading the team forward; they believe I can play an important role. That's why we sit down, negotiate seriously, and reach a consensus."

When asked what is now the key factor determining whether he stays, Maguire said: "Playing matches, helping the team both on and off the field. I don't want to feel dispensable; I want to contribute to the team. So we still need to sit down and continue discussions, especially now that I have to rest longer due to the red card."

Maguire actually won't rest for long, as he has returned to the England national team during the international break and will participate in two pre-World Cup warm-up matches. He thanked the new manager Carrick; without this Manchester United legend, Maguire might indeed be idle at home now.

In Carrick's first match as manager, he started Maguire, who had recently recovered from injury, in the crucial Manchester derby. Subsequently, Maguire maintained his starting position, enabling him to return to the "Three Lions" squad after 18 months.

Maguire couldn't hide his smile: "After Michael (Carrick) arrived, he changed the formation; we now play with four defenders, and I prefer this tactic. The best periods of my career have been playing in a four-defender system, although I played in a three-center-back setup under Gareth (Southgate), only during the 2018 Russia World Cup and the 2020 European Cup preparations. My best performances have always been with four defenders."

Maguire continued: "At Manchester United, under Ole (Solskjaer), we also played with four defenders. Some say I am more suited to three center-backs or five defenders; I disagree with that view. I am a defender who likes to defend forward, always confronting attacking players. Playing the central role in a three-center-back system requires more caution; people say I'm older and my mobility isn't as good as before, so I would get more protection, but that's not my preference. In a four-defender system, I can play more aggressively, proactively engaging, which is an important part of my game."

However, Maguire emphasized that he does not oppose Amorim. "One reason Manchester United reverted to four defenders is that previous results weren't good enough," he said. "But I wouldn't actually speak ill of Ruben (Amorim); I really like him, he has many incredible ideas, but they just didn't work at Manchester United. It simply wasn't suitable, or didn't succeed, and we players also bear a large part of the responsibility. Ruben guided the club in the right direction; he also contributed significantly, building a strong and stable squad."

Maguire also disclosed the situation when Amorim was dismissed: "I talked with him for a while when he left; he wished us all the best. I believe he was disappointed, but he is young and can achieve great things on the coaching bench in the future."

Regarding Carrick, Maguire is full of gratitude. "Carrick has performed exceptionally well. He speaks eloquently and has strong tactical awareness," Maguire stated. "He brought in some very strong coaches; Steve Holland is experienced, reliable, and quite outstanding. Also, Jonathan Woodgate and Jonny Evans, both former defenders, are helping the club's young defensive players. I think the smooth transition must be credited to Michael and his team. Winning the first two matches against Manchester City and Arsenal also helped facilitate a quick transition."

So, should Carrick be appointed permanently? Maguire replied: "That's not up to us to decide. There are 7 matches left; we have already put ourselves in a very favorable position, but we still must finish the season strongly. Then, he should be able to enter the competition alongside other candidates and start the manager selection process. I believe this will be a rigorous process, and this summer will be very important. We at Manchester United are clear about this; the club needs to bring in new players to help the team. The management will undertake a large-scale rebuild, and I believe they will make the right decisions."

Regarding the red card he received in Manchester United's 2-2 match against Bournemouth, Maguire admitted there was no major mistake. "A good day ended in a bad way," Maguire commented. "But I am satisfied that we ultimately held on for 1 point, which might prove crucial eventually. The red card was slightly harsh, but that's football."

On the key to his resurgence through adversity, Maguire believes: "You rely on your experience; I also have great confidence in myself—I am a top-level center-back. Without confidence, you couldn't play at Manchester United for 7 years, enduring all kinds of scrutiny, especially as a center-back where every conceded goal is analyzed and commented on extensively. I have also represented England in three major tournaments, playing every minute, including taking penalty kicks. You couldn't do that without ability. I was selected for the national team even before joining Manchester United, and I feel that over the past three years, whenever I played for Manchester United, my form has been consistently good. I had a low period of six to nine months at Manchester United, maybe one season, but later my form recovered very well."

Recalling the details of his selection for the England team, Maguire said: "Tuchel sent me a message asking if I could take a call after six o'clock. We were preparing to fly to Bournemouth; that 40-minute flight was really long! I didn't know if he would call to say: 'Unfortunately, you are not selected.' I knew that if I missed out this time, I might never return. Thankfully, he called at six fifty, saying I would be selected and that I deserved the position! That was an ecstatic call; when you've been playing for six or seven years, being a starter in every match, and suddenly it all disappears, it's definitely painful. You feel you still have something left, so this feeling of being selected again is somewhat like being selected for the first time!"

Maguire revealed that his mother was the most emotional when she learned he had returned to the national team. "My mom called me, crying profusely, my goodness. She was vacationing in Spain; I don't even know how much she drank!"

In the England team, Maguire needs to compete with teammates like Manchester City's John Stones and Marc Guehi, Newcastle United's Dan Burn, Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa, AC Milan's Tomori, and Leverkusen's Konsa; Tuchel will choose the starters from these players.

"I feel I don't need to sell myself to the manager anymore," Maguire said. "At this stage of my career, personal interests are no longer so important. I'm 33 now, focusing only on the team. Whether I play 1 minute in the World Cup or every match, I will do my utmost to ensure the national team succeeds. I'm not playing in the World Cup to prove I'm the world's best defender; I just want to be part of the team. I believe I can play an important role both on and off the field, that's it."

"You can send this to the coach!" Maguire joked. "I once thought I would never be selected again in my life. I was not selected at the end of last season, and before that I participated intermittently a few times, so I didn't feel I was necessarily going to be selected. However, the team's form and formation after Manchester United changed managers have helped."