Harry Maguire booed vs Real Madrid but Man Utd ‘in no rush’ to sell star

Harry Maguire received a frosty reception from supporters during Manchester United’s friendly defeat at the hands of Real Madrid in the early hours of Thursday morning. The Red Devils faced their Spanish counterparts at Houston’s NRG Stadium as part of their US pre-season tour but ended up on the wrong side of a two-goal defeat, with Jude Bellingham opening the scoring for Real Madrid before Joselu doubled their advantage.

Maguire started on the bench and could only watch on as Bellingham lifted the ball over Andre Onana and into the back of the net in the sixth minute after being picked out by Antonio Rudiger. Joselu went on to add a late second for Real Madrid in some style with an overhead kick from close range that bounced into the bottom corner.

Erik ten Hag introduced Maguire just after the hour mark as United made wholesale changes but the England ace was greeted with boos from the stands as he continues to face an uncertain future at Old Trafford. It came after he was stripped of the captaincy shortly before United left the UK for their pre-season tour, with Bruno Fernandes taking the armband on a permanent basis after wearing it for much of last season when Maguire was not playing.

The 30-year-old has also been linked with a potential move elsewhere before the summer window closes, with the likes of Tottenham, West Ham and Newcastle said to be among the interested parties. However, the Manchester Evening News reports that Ten Hag is in no immediate rush to sell Maguire as it would mean trying to find a replacement when a new striker is a higher priority for the Red Devils.

United are thought to be open to considering offers in the region of around £50million but are not desperate to cash in on Maguire as things stand. Their valuation of the defender is widely considered to be inflated, with bids of that magnitude unlikely to arrive from any club over the course of the summer window.

Real Madrid’s latest win over United did not mark the first time in recent memory that Maguire had been jeered by supporters, with the defender taking some heat from fans while on England duty before the start of last year’s World Cup. He was also booed with almost every touch of the ball during United’s pre-season match against Crystal Palace a year ago, prompting Liverpool hero Stevie Nicol to jump to Maguire’s defence by tearing into the fans responsible.

“It just shows there are morons all over the world,” Nicol told ESPN FC at the time. “Let’s be honest, who sits and waits for their team to come [to their country] and then boo one of their own players? It’s completely and utterly wrong. There is nothing to justify it whatsoever. There is one thing that is not acceptable, booing your own players.

“He may have had a tough time last season, but wait for all of pre-season. You’re gonna boo a guy the first time he touches a ball? That’s garbage. That’s nonsense. There’s nothing that makes this in any way acceptable, there’s no justification for it.”

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