Aston Villa have a ‘better chance’ of signing Manchester United defender Harry Maguire on loan amid interest from Newcastle United, The Sun report.
The England international had a difficult 2022/23 campaign with the Red Devils, and he made only eight starts over the entire Premier League season.
United are open to sanctioning his sale in the upcoming transfer window, but his high £200,000-a-week wages could force the club to consider loan deals.
It is now reported that both Newcastle and Villa are interested in pursuing loan moves for the centre-back, but the latter could have the upper hand.
United have no plans of strengthening a Champions League rival without financial benefit, and will only entertain a permanent bid from the Magpies.
Tottenham Hotspur have also been linked with the £40 million-rated star, but they have yet to make any approach to the Red Devils for his services.
Man Utd have made the right decision
Newcastle have had a tremendous upturn in fortunes after their Saudi takeover. Within 18 months, the club have qualified for the Champions League.
The Magpies are a real threat to United with their huge financial backing, and the Red Devils are right to deny them the chance to land Maguire on loan.
Villa, on the other hand, had a brilliant second half to the season under manager Unai Emery, but they aren’t a direct rival for a top-four spot next term.
The Midlands outfit already have a couple of players in the £150,000-a-week bracket, and United could be willing to discuss a future buy option for Maguire.
The best solution for United would be to offload their captain on a permanent transfer, but that may require them to hand him with a huge pay-off.
United are planning to strengthen their central defence this summer. Napoli’s Kim Min-jae is currently the prime target and talks have been held with his camp.