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Manchester United defender Harry Maguire is intent on staying at Old Trafford and fighting for his place in the team despite the arrival of fellow centre-back Matthijs de Ligt.
Maguire struggled for game-time last season and will face even more competition this year following De Ligt’s move from Bayern Munich.
Even De Ligt could struggle to force his way into the team despite being signed by his former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag as United believe a centre-back partnership of Lisandro Martinez and Leny Yoro can rival any in the Premier League.
Argentina World Cup winner Martinez is back fit following his injury issues last season but £52m summer signing Yoro will miss the start of the season after suffering an injury in pre-season.
That could open the door to Maguire as he looks to revive his Manchester United career but he still faces competition from Martinez, De Ligt, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans.
Despite potentially finding himself fourth choice at Old Trafford, Maguire is ready to fight for his place at United and has no immediate plans to leave the club, according to talkSPORT.
It is claimed Maguire is confident he will get opportunities under Ten Hag and can prove to be a key member of the squad as United look to improve on last season’s dismal eighth-place finish.
Following Yoro’s move to Manchester United, Maguire warned fans over their expectations for the teenager and insisted he had an ‘important’ role to support the young players in the squad.
‘I must say I haven’t trained too much with him,’ Maguires said of United’s summer signing. ‘But I’ve seen clips and I’ve seen attributes in a centre back of an 18-year-old that you’d want, every single attribute he’s got.
‘We must remind ourselves he is really young. There are going to be mistakes but he has every attribute of a centre-back in the modern game, he has it. So I’m sure he’s going to have a bright future.
‘It’s our job as senior centre backs, my job, to help him along, communicate well, let him know what to expect.
‘There are going to be times where I’m sure he’ll feel the world is on top of him, there are also going to be times where he’s going to feel like the best player in the world. And that’s what this club brings.
‘I think it’s really important us senior lads help the young boys at the club. You’re starting to see now there’s so much talent in this squad but they’re going to need to be guided in the right direction and I think that’s definitely a role of mine and other lads as well.’
Maguire has made 207 appearances for Manchester United since completing an £80m move from Leicester City in 2019. He lost the captain’s armband this time last year.
The Red Devils kick-start the new Premier League campaign on Friday night with a home match against Fulham.
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