Man Utd given brilliant chance to offload flop as ‘concrete’ Aston Villa interest sets up Tottenham battle

Man Utd defenders Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire

Manchester United have been handed a great opportunity to finally sell a disappointing signing as Aston Villa have ‘concrete interest’ in him and Tottenham are also in the race, according to reports.

The next stage of manager Erik ten Hag’s revolution at Man Utd will see the Dutch coach offload several unwanted players. This will help to fund some big-money pursuits as Ten Hag looks to land a new striker, central midfielder, right-back and goalkeeper.

One player who looks set to depart Old Trafford is midfielder Donny van de Beek. He was expected to reignite his career under compatriot Ten Hag, following the time they spent working together at Ajax. However, Van De Beek has struggled for game time due to injuries and competition for places, limiting him to just 10 appearances during Ten Hag’s first season at Man Utd.

It does not look like Van De Beek has done enough in his brief appearances or in training to convince Ten Hag that he has a future at the club. On Tuesday, it emerged that the 26-year-old is exploring his options ahead of a potential transfer.

He is far from the only one in this position. Dean Henderson is the subject of ‘advanced talks’ between Man Utd and Nottingham Forest ahead of a permanent move to the City Ground. Scott McTominay, meanwhile, has been linked with Premier League sides Newcastle and West Ham.

Man Utd must also sort out Harry Maguire’s future. The club captain has lost his starting place to Lisandro Martinez, who usually plays in central defence alongside Raphael Varane when both players are fit.

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On Tuesday, both the Telegraph and Daily Mail stated Tottenham are surprisingly interested in signing Maguire. The Mail added that the Englishman ‘will be allowed to leave’ once the next transfer window begins.

Previously, all of Man Utd’s attempts to offload Maguire have failed due to clubs failing to meet their asking price. After spending a huge £80million on him in 2019, the Red Devils do not want to take a massive financial hit.

Villa, Spurs vying for Man Utd player

But this problem could soon be swept aside as Aston Villa have joined Spurs in the hunt for Maguire. Football Insider report that Villa have ‘concrete interest’ in Maguire, despite his struggles in Manchester.

Unai Emery clearly believes he can get the best out of the former Leicester and Sheffield United man. And Maguire would probably back himself to thrive away from the intense spotlight that focuses on all Man Utd players.

The report adds that West Ham are interested in Maguire too. But given their struggles in the Prem this term, it is likely Maguire would rather go to Spurs or Villa.

It is suggested that Villa have a slight advantage over Spurs in the transfer pursuit. This is because they would be more willing to meet Maguire’s wage demands. At Man Utd he currently takes home around £170,000 a week, and this would be no problem for Villa to match.

If Spurs and Villa end up engaging in a bidding war then this may finally see Man Utd be offered a decent proportion of the money they originally spent on Maguire.

It would be a good decision if Maguire opted to join Villa over Spurs. He would be more likely to start regularly at Villa, while this would also give him the chance to play in Europe as Emery’s men look forward to their Europa Conference League campaign. Spurs, meanwhile, finished eighth in the Prem and will therefore have to do without European competition next term.

Maguire’s Man Utd contract runs for another two years, while transfermarkt put his value at £21.5m.

Meanwhile, a top Prem performer has been urged to reject Man Utd and join one of their fiercest rivals by Ally McCoist.