Man Utd star will reject £500,000-a-week wages to re-sign at Old Trafford on two conditions

A Manchester United star is ready to snub the chance to earn half a million every week in favour of signing a new contract at Old Trafford, but the club’s hard-line stance in talks is making things difficult, according to reports.

Leaders in the Man Utd dressing room at present are in short supply, but one player who fits that billing is Harry Maguire. The 32-year-old former United captain is among Ruben Amorim’s most trusted lieutenants and very rarely lets United down at either end of the pitch.

However, Maguire has entered the final year of his contract and there’s no option to extend by 12 months. The previous option was triggered at the start of 2025 to cover the 2025/26 campaign.

Maguire will be free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with overseas sides come January 1 – assuming he’s not penned fresh terms in Manchester before then, of course.

Man Utd do want Maguire to stay and the player’s priority is to re-sign at Old Trafford. However, that only tells half of the story.

Maguire currently pockets £190,000-a-week and according to Fabrizio Romano, Man Utd want the defender to accept a pay-cut.

“During this week, contacts took place including a meeting at Carrington between the agent and camp of Harry Maguire, and Manchester United,” stated Romano on his YouTube channel. “There are talks ongoing between Maguire and Man Utd about a new deal.

“The current contract of Maguire expires in June of 2026. The option to extend was one year ago, so they already activated the option, so this contract is expiring, they need to find a new agreement if they want to continue together.

“They want to continue together. United are happy with Maguire on and off the pitch, also in terms of leadership.

“Maguire is happy at Man Utd and would love to stay, but the numbers must be different, can’t be the same.

“If they can agree on the numbers in this new contract, Maguire has a very good chance to stay at Man Utd. Otherwise they will part ways on a free transfer in the summer.

“But the intention for Maguire and Man Utd is to continue these discussions. A meeting already took place and more will follow in the next days and weeks.”

A fresh update from The Mirror has shed new light on Maguire’s situation.

They brought news of Saudi Arabian pair, Al Nassr and Al Ettifaq, being willing to offer Maguire a colossal late-career pay rise. A weekly wage of £500,000-a-week – roughly 2.5 times what Maguire earns now, was cited in the piece.

The Mirror echoed claims Maguire’s ideal outcome is re-signing with Man Utd, but only ‘if the deal is right for him.’

What would make the deal ‘right’ for Maguire is two things – not being forced to accept a salary reduction, and assurances he’ll still feature somewhat regularly irrespective of who the United manager is.

Maguire is well aware a move to Saudi Arabia would all but end his England career and that is something he’ll take into consideration if he doesn’t find common ground with United in contract talks.

There is a clear willingness from both United and Maguire to extend their relationship, but as of right now, there is a difference of opinion on how much he should be paid.

Why letting Harry Maguire go would be a mistake

Maguire is one of the club’s true leaders and, for as long as Amorim and his 3-4-2-1 formation remains at Old Trafford, excellent strength in depth at centre-back will be a must.

Maguire is not the quickest and what pace he has left will diminish as the years tick on. As such, the only position he can realistically play is in the middle of the back three.

That is where Matthijs De Ligt usually plays, though having a player of Maguire’s calibre and experience to fall back on cannot be a bad thing.

What’s more, transfer insider, Dean Jones, recently told TEAMtalk Maguire is ‘open-minded’ about the terms of a new deal.

In other words, he might be receptive to taking a lower salary if it ensures he can continue playing for the Red Devils.

The Mirror’s reporting suggested Maguire doesn’t want to accept a salary reduction, but standard negotiating practices ensure each side starts out strong before one party gradually softens their demands later on.

Maguire still feels he has plenty to offer at elite level and if getting his way, would sign a long-term extension – never mind a short one – at United.

And crucially, Jones also revealed Amorim is a huge admirer of Maguire, even if that’s not immediately apparent through his team selections this season.

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QUIZ: Think you know Jacob ‘Harry’ Maguire? ⬇️