After a difficult start to the 2023/24 campaign, Manchester United are currently unbeaten in 2024 so far, winning five of their previous six matches.
Erik ten Hag finally has his side firing on all levels and this could allow them to push on and secure the final Champions League place for next season.
While summer signing Rasmus Hojlund has started scoring regulary – four in his previous four Premier League matches – Ten Hag’s other big money signings since taking charge of the Red Devils have failed to showcase their talents.
Antony cost £86m during the summer of 2022, but has only scored nine goals for the club, whereas Mason Mount was another expensive arrival, costing £55m, yet he has registered just one assist in 12 appearances.
Both signings appear to be a rather extravagant waste of money, yet this has been the norm at United since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Many have come and gone without making much of an impact, all while costing the club millions in transfer fees and wages before they are sold at a loss.
Either that, or their value declines rapidly, which is the case with Harry Maguire, who has seen his market value plummet since arriving in Manchester nearly five years ago.
How much Harry Maguire cost Man United
The English defender enjoyed two solid campaigns at Leicester City, where he made a total of 76 appearances for the Foxes while gaining England recognition in the process.
Maguire shone for England during their 2018 World Cup campaign in Russia as they reached the semi-finals for the first time since 1990 and the Leicester centre-back even scored and grabbed an assist in his seven matches in the tournament.
With Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looking at bolstering his squad ahead of his first full season during the summer of 2019, he earmarked Maguire as a player who should be signed.
With a few weeks to go before the transfer window closed, the Norwegian manager got his wish and the defender joined for a transfer fee in the region of £80m – a record for a defender.
While he had performed relatively well during his spell with the Foxes, splurging £80m on the player meant Brendan Rodgers' side definitely got the best end of the deal.
Over the next four and a half years, the Englishman has failed to live up to such a lavish fee and now his market value is actually lower than that of Anthony Martial’s – another extravagant purchase that hasn’t enjoyed success in Manchester.
Anthony Martial’s market value at Man United
The Frenchman joined the Red Devils aged just 19 in 2015 for an initial fee of £36m and this made him the most expensive teenager in history at the time.
A goalscoring debut against Liverpool which saw United claim a 3-1 win looked like it could be a sign of things to come, but in all honesty, he has failed to really demonstrate a consistent run of goals during his spell at the club.
Indeed, the best season he has had with regard to goals was netting 23 during the 2019/20 campaign and his value has declined rapidly in recent years.
At the time of writing, Martial’s current market value is just €12.1m (£10.3m) according to Football Transfers and with his contract expiring at the end of the season, it looks as though he will leave for free.
Harry Maguire’s market valuation at Man United
Martial’s lack of impact and meaningful legacy at United have been the main contributing factors to his rapid decline in recent years and the same thing is happening to Maguire.
Following his £80m move from Leicester, his market value has never actually gone over €60m (£51.3m) and it clearly indicates that the club paid way over the top for him in the first place.
£89m
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The defender has endured a long, steady decline since joining and his recent valuation, according to Football Transfers, is currently sitting at €11m (£9.4m), a staggering decline over the previous four and a half years.
Maguire has just 18 months remaining on his current contract and unless United look to sell him during the upcoming summer transfer window, they face the fear of allowing him to leave without recouping a single penny.
Why Harry Maguire’s market value has declined
The £190k-per-week defender has made a total of 196 appearances for the club, yet since Ten Hag arrived at the club, he has played only 52 matches in all competitions.
When compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the previous 365 days, Maguire currently ranks outside the top 50% for pass completion percentage per 90 (83%), tackles per 90 (1.12) and successful take-ons per 90 (0.1), while he only ranks in the top 37% for progressive passes per 90 (3.71) and the top 38% for passes attempted per 90 (59.87), proving that he is not among one of the elite defenders when compared to his peers.
Maguire has been known for his high-profile errors during his time at United and last season saw him make a few mistakes for the club.
Against Sevilla in the Europa League, the defender made a loose pass which was intended for a teammate but was intercepted by Youssef En-Nesyri, who opened the scoring.
Another mistake was made against Athletic Bilbao in a pre-season clash last year, as Maguire once again made a loose pass which saw the Spanish side score and his frailties at the back have certainly been exposed in recent times.
The Old Trafford side have certainly had a transfer shocker over the purchase of the player for £80m back in 2019 and It's safe to say that they have not received a player of such quality.
His decline in market value since arriving at the club is evidence they grossly overpaid for him in the first place and Ten Hag may be looking to bring in a fee for him during the summer, otherwise it will be another colossal waste of money by the Premier League side.
