A year ago
Luke Shaw's comments on Harry Maguire's Man United dilemma highlight his impending departure.
At Manchester United, Luke Shaw has frequently been called upon to fill in as a centre-half, relegating outcast Harry Maguire to a squad duty under Erik ten Hahn.
Despite being a traditional left-back, Luke Shaw has been dubbed Manchester United's "next-choice centre-back."
Erik ten Hag has found the versatile defender to be a valuable asset, stepping in centrally when injuries occur. Shaw has been at Old Trafford for nearly a decade and appears to be more essential than ever for United as they try to continue improving under their Dutch coach following a return to the top four.
However, although Shaw's value grows, his deployment as a centre-half only highlights the decline of Harry Maguire, who formerly commanded that position. The former Leicester City man was a fan favorite under past tenures, but Ten Hag soon demoted him to a squad duty.
With the arrival of Lisandro Martinez, the Argentine went directly into collaboration with Raphael Varane, and the duo created an amazing partnership. Shaw appears to be the next man up whenever an injury occurs, leaving Maguire on the bench and throwing further doubt on his future role.
Wes Brown, a former Manchester United player, told the club's official website about Shaw: "We know him as an excellent left-back, but he's been incredible [at centre-back]." You'd probably only play there a few times as a full-back until the other defenders returned from injury. Luke, on the other hand, has been the team's second-choice center-back due to his performance.
"I'm not sure if he used to play there as a kid, but he just seems to know how to read the game very well." He's good in the air, and his positioning is improving after a few games."
Maguire made only eight Premier League games, with the majority of his minutes coming in cup competitions. He is near the bottom of the pecking order, with Victor Lindelof also above him, which may push him to pursue other opportunities this summer.
Several clubs have expressed interest in Maguire, who is looking for regular playing time again. The forthcoming season will conclude with the Euros, when England will be among the favorites once again, and the United center-half will want to be a regular for his country.
Maguire said in May, "Of course [when asked if he wanted to start more]." Listen, we have a lot of competition for spots, which is exactly what a major club needs. Depth provides a lot of strength. [We had] players who stepped in, players who hadn't played as much, and I believe the manager and his staff can rely on us and know that if he makes changes, we can do the job, so it's fantastic to be a part of this group."
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