Manchester United defender Harry Maguire signed for the club in 2019 for a high price.
After signing a six-year contract in 2013, David Moyes hoped he would have lots of time to shape his vision for the club.
Instead, Moyes’ spell in charge was a disaster and he failed to last a single season, fired with a handful of games remaining. It felt like a merciful decision.
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Manchester United have been on a real rollercoaster ever since, and are yet to win the league title since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
One of the big problems that plagued United during Moyes’ brief reign was the transfer market.
Among the many transfers that split opinion in the post-Ferguson era was the £80 million signing of Harry Maguire.
Maguire has gone on to play 255 first team games for United, earning the respect of fans after a struggle to win everybody over.
Manchester United could have signed Maguire during the David Moyes era, the manager once revealed – but he chose not to.
Hull City v Sheffield United - FA Cup Semi-Final
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Moyes and United were not convinced
Harry Maguire was playing for Sheffield United when David Moyes was the Manchester United manager in 2013.
Hull City signed Maguire for £2.5 million in 2014, the following summer, and Moyes later admitted that the centre-back had been on the club’s radar.
Moyes spoke to Talksport in 2019 after Maguire made his debut in a 4-0 win for Manchester United against Chelsea.
He explained: “We didn’t try to sign him but we flagged him up at that time.
“I was very aware of the players in the lower leagues and had a made good career out of bringing them to Everton – whether that be Tim Cahill or all the ones we did through the years.”
Harry Maguire – Total Professional Appearances
Club / Team Years Total Apps
Sheffield United 2011–2014 166
Hull City 2014–2017 75
Wigan Athletic (Loan) 2015 16
Leicester City 2017–2019 76
Manchester United 2019–Present 255
England National Team 2017–Present 64
TOTAL 652
Moyes explained that concerns over Maguire’s physique were among the reasons Manchester United did not immediately pursue the defender.
“Harry Maguire was another one I recognised. He played against Preston North End at home in a league game and I watched him and thought he played really well but at that time he was really big.
“You thought ‘my goodness, how big is Harry going to be’ because he was a relatively young boy at that time.
“To be fair he looks in terrific shape [now] and he hasn’t changed at all really.”
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There was also a very important factor counting against a deal, along with Ed Woodward’s incompetence in the transfer market.
The centre-back role was not a position Moyes was immediately looking to address in 2013, with a mixture of young and veteran options at his disposal.
Moyes explained: “When I went to United, we had Vidic, Rio, Jonny Evans, Michael Keane, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling.
“So for us to go and buy another young centre-half wasn’t the biggest thing we needed at the time.”
Moyes’ reticence in this case was understandable, along with his belief that he was in the dugout at Old Trafford for the long-term, and could revisit the situation in the future.
Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand both ended up leaving Manchester United in 2014 after Moyes departed, while Louis van Gaal also decided to sell Jonny Evans in 2015 – who would go on to form a partnership with Maguire at Leicester City.
Van Gaal also sold Michael Keane, a defender referenced by Moyes. He ended up with a defensive crisis, playing Tyler Blackett and Paddy McNair.
Injury issues ended up wrecking Phil Jones‘ career, while Chris Smalling was phased out by Maguire in 2019.
Ruben Amorim vs David Moyes records at Manchester United
Infographic by SofaScore showing Ruben Amorim vs David Moyes record at Manchester United.
Infographic by SofaScore showing Ruben Amorim vs David Moyes record at Manchester United.
Harry Maguire celebrating at Anfield
Photo by PETER POWELL/AFP via Getty Images
Moyes believes Maguire benefited from wait to get to United
Manchester United spent a combined £60 million on Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof in 2016 and 2017, before eventually buying Harry Maguire for £80 million in 2019.
Jose Mourinho had wanted to sign Maguire in 2018. Ed Woodward refused, and then ended up paying the huge fee in one instalment a year later, when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was manager.
United got their man in the end, at considerable expense, but Moyes believes Maguire was better for the wait.
He added: “Harry Maguire has had to go on his journey. Sometimes the players need the journey to get to where they have to go. He might have struggled then.”
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Harry Maguire has weathered a few storms at Manchester United during his six years at the club, playing under multiple managers.
Maguire was even given the captaincy, and stripped of it, while Erik ten Hag attempted to sell him. Teammate Luke Shaw described him as the ‘most criticised player in football‘.
Now 32, Maguire is into the final year of his deal at United, yet could end up with a contract extension.
He has become a fan favourite due to his resilience and ability to come up with a goal at the right time, including a special winner at Anfield recently.
And who knows, if Moyes had taken the plunge on Maguire in 2013, the defender could have stuck around.