Manchester United center back Harry Maguire was in a punchy mood when he held court with a series of publications this week.
The recalled England international described himself as “arguably one of the best defenders in the world in both boxes” and was similarly forthright on the club’s aspirations in next season’s Premier League and the upcoming transfer market.
The general perception of Maguire is a redemption arc. After enduring a rotten run of form and being stripped of United’s captaincy under Erik ten Hag, the 33-year-old has won his place back at club level and is pushing for a place in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup roster. Maguire, however, would argue that his career has been far more consistent.
“I actually think, six of the [seven] seasons, I’ve performed really well,” he told The Athletic. “I’d have loved seven out of seven, and not had this little blip along the way and everyone won’t be speaking about it as much.”
Looking specifically ahead to his potential involvement for England this summer, Maguire put forward a confident case. “Whatever role the manager would want me for, whether that’s starting or deciding games late on… I still believe, even at my age, I’m arguably one of the best defenders in the world in both boxes. I don’t think that’s open to question, really.”
Some may question that, but the numbers support his claim. No Premier League player can better Maguire’s aerial win rate of 78% this season, per Opta. While Ruben Amorim repeatedly hailed his prowess from attacking set pieces as “he’s the only guy that can score a goal with his headers.”
“I have great self-belief, more importantly, that I’m a top player,” Maguire insisted. “That’s what helps me when things are tough.”
There also appears to be a lot of lofty belief about Manchester United’s fortunes going forward.
‘No Ceiling’—Maguire Rates Man Utd’s Title Prospects
Maguire has spent seven seasons at United and never once been involved in anything approaching a sustained Premier League title race. That could be about to change.
“I don’t think there’s any ceiling on it looking at the Premier League at the moment,” Maguire told The Telegraph when quizzed on United’s prospects. “I think over the last few years you’ve obviously had Manchester City, who were really tough to catch, and before the start of any season you knew you had to put a points tally together where it was some going to catch them.
“I think next season you look at it we’ve got to be in the bracket where, if we get the recruitment right and everything’s positive from now to the end of this season, there’s no ceiling of where we can reach.
“If we were speaking about it [the title] at the end of last season [when United finished 15th], you’d probably think we were a bit stupid really. But we’re in a strong position now.
“Come February, March, we don’t want to be adrift like we have been this year. We’ve got to be in the conversation to go and win the big trophies.”
Since Michael Carrick took charge of the team in January, United have racked up a Premier League points haul akin to title challengers—in fact, no team can better his return over this period. However, Carrick has only overseen 10 games without any demands of alternative competitions.
As United prepare for at least some form of European action next season, Maguire’s thought turned to this summer’s recruitment.
‘This Summer’s Going to Be a Big Summer’
“I always want to be part of a squad that I felt like could compete and the recruitment went well last year, we brought in some top players who helped us,” Maguire told ESPN. However, signings akin to Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Senne Lammens must be repeated this year if United are to maintain their upward trajectory.
“I think this summer’s going to be a big summer, I think we’ve got to recruit really well,” Maguire warned. “Obviously there’s a big manager decision as well, but I think the recruitment side of it is bringing players in.
“I think this summer has got to be a big year because we’re not in Europe this year, we’ve played 40 games at the end of the season, and we definitely need a bigger squad next year.”
United are expected to target multipe new midfielders as well as a left winger. Maguire’s contract extension has dampened demands for a fresh defender but there is still plenty of work to be done.
“I feel like the squad is starting to look like something that is a strong squad. But this summer’s going to be big, really, really big,” Maguire concluded. “We need more players, we need better quality, we need players to come into the starting XI. And then when everything comes together, we’ll see where it is at the start of the season.”
