‘The best thing’: Wayne Rooney now thinks £50m Newcastle target will want to move this summer

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Newcastle United are still hunting for defensive reinforcements this summer and one name that keeps popping up is that of Harry Maguire.

Things have not gone well for the England centre-back since his £80million move from Leicester City to Manchester United and now it looks like the 30-year-old’s time is up at Old Trafford.

Due to his enormous wages and the massive fee Man United paid for Harry Maguire, Newcastle‘s name keeps being mentioned as an interested party as they’re one of a few clubs who could afford to take him on.

Maguire would have to take a hefty pay-cut to come to Newcastle

The reality is if Maguire were to move to Newcastle he would need to take a significant pay cut as there’s no way Newcastle would get close to his current £200,000-a-week (Salary Sport).

Harry Maguire’s Manchester United career has taken a nosedive and he has just been stripped of the captaincy by Erik ten Hag which could be the biggest indicator yet of his future. Despite all that, it’s believed that Man United still want £50million for him. Another red flag for Newcastle.

There’s no denying that Maguire is a good player on his day. Gareth Southgate called him ‘incredible‘ in an England shirt, and that does seem to be when he’s at his best, but it’s just too big a risk for Newcastle to take given the money involved and his age.

Wayne Rooney has chimed in on Maguire’s future in an interview with The Athletic saying: “To have the armband taken off you, how does he move forward with the club?”

“That shows the manager really doesn’t believe in him. It leaves Harry in a position where he has to think on what he does moving forward. The manager has shown he is not part of the plans.

“I’m sure Harry will want to go and play — for himself, for his England career — to put himself in the best position to be as successful as he can. The best thing now is probably for him to move.”

Newcastle need a long-term replacement for Schar

Rooney clearly sees that the only way Maguire can revive his career is by moving away from Manchester United, but whether that means he’s off to Newcastle remains to be seen.

Maguire is now 30 so he’s on the back-nine of his career, Newcastle are looking for a young centre-back to take the baton from Fabian Schar and form a long-term partnership with Sven Botman. Maguire would be a quick fix at best, and that’s only if he regains the form he shows for England, but at £50million and with exorbitant wages, it’s not worth the risk.

If Newcastle could work out a loan arrangement that makes financial sense, then maybe something could be done with Maguire, but I don’t see it happening.