Erik ten Hag is interested in Lisandro Martinez, and Man Utd has already made an offer of £37 million for the Ajax midfielder.
Harry Maguire receives instructions from Ralf Rangnick (left).
Last summer, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw came within millimeters of achieving immortality. Now, a year later, both players, along with England manager Gareth Southgate, will be worrying about Erik ten Hag and his upcoming decision regarding their Manchester United roles.
England hadn't advanced to the final of a significant international competition since 1966. The Three Lions made history despite having games spread out across Europe and being affected by the devastating Covid-19 pandemic. United and Manchester City, who were neighbors, provided a 50/50 foundation for their historic charge.
Maguire and Shaw made up one side of a solid defense that was only (cruelly) defeated in the championship on penalties. Meanwhile, Kyle Walker and John Stones were positioned in the blue (and right-sided) corner.
Remembering the tears that poured beneath the fabled Wembley arch still makes me hurt, and this World Cup year may bring more suffering for the United contingent.The choices made by Ten Hag could have a significant influence on England's plans for Qatar this winter.
While other players have been benched because of club concerns, Southgate has frequently remained devoted to Maguire and other important parts of his England puzzle. One issue about him, though, has already been brought up in public and Ten Hag is prepared to address it.
Ralf Rangnick, a former United temporary manager, said the following about Maguire's last campaign: "We have been talking about this since I got here because, despite being right-footed, he wants to play on the left side. And last week, I watched him play for England, when he lined up on the right side of a back four.
"As a right-footed player, I thus determined that he should play on the right side, which is preferable for him when we initiate the game from our back line. I believe it will be much simpler for him to play from there."
United would have been announcing the arrival of Jurrien Timber if everything in Ten Hag had gone as planned this summer. Naturally, Ten Hag would have received a double benefit from hiring a rising star who was well known to his former Ajax manager as part of his much required rebuild.
In fact, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka up for sale and uncertainty surrounding Diogo Dalot's future, United is not only looking for a center-back this summer; Timber's arrival would have also provided backup at right-back.
Ten Hag only laced on his boots at Carrington for the first time last Monday after dusting off his strategy board. But he needs to rapidly adjust to the circumstances United has given him.
Since Timber will remain in Amsterdam for the time being, United immediately focused on Lisandro Martinez, his defensive partner. Right-back position worries will persist, but his £37 million acquisition of the Argentine may allay Maguire's positional worries.
Maguire was criticized harshly for his performances last season—somewhere between justifiable criticism and a witch hunt—and has more to prove than most this upcoming campaign. Rangnick's counsel should be heeded by United regardless of his final position in the squad.
Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, on the practice field.
That in no way implies that Maguire won't have a role to play in the upcoming campaign. Raphael Varane's recent history of injuries implies that Maguire may frequently be used as a right-sided center-back. Ten Hag and Rangnick might just come to an understanding on it.
As a result, Maguire faces a new challenge. Tyrell Malacia's entry as a rival for the left-back position also presents a challenge for Shaw. The impending shake-up may wind up helping United and England in the long run since they were able to rest on their laurels for too long.
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