Manchester United report: Red Devils have lost faith in Harry Maguire, with 'the new Van Dijk' set for Old Trafford

Manchester United star Harry Maguire
(Image credit: PA)

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire may have to fight for his future at Old Trafford, with the Red Devils hierarchy no longer convinced by him.

According to the Sun, United are interested in Barcelona star Ronald Araujo – who has been labelled "the new van Dijk" – is on the radar to replace the England star, who could well be offloaded in the summer.

Raphael Varane signed in the summer for around £40m and though the serial Champions League winner has been injured for a lot of the season, he's impressed when he has played. Crucially, the Frenchman wasn't present for the embarrassing defeats to Liverpool, Manchester City and Watford – which cost Ole Gunnar Solskjaer his job.

Araujo has impressed at Barcelona with his combination of technical ability and his physicality, with Xavi seeming to trust the Uruguayan ahead of former City defender Eric Garcia. At 22, the centre-back is as much one for the future as he is the present and could become a long-term fix at Old Trafford.

Maguire, meanwhile, could yet become the latest in a long line of costly flops at the Red Devils. The England star became the most expensive defender of all time when he joined from Leicester City and has been the rock at the back for club and country since his move but has come under fire for his poor mobility.

United may have to settle on making a loss on the Maguire transfer, who cost £75m when he joined. It's unlikely that any club abroad would be willing to pay more than £50m for the player.

Maguire is valued at £43m on Transfermarkt.

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Mark White
Content Editor

Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.