Erik ten Hag issues Harry Maguire with a STAY-OR-GO ultimatum at Manchester United

Erik ten Hag admits Harry Maguire isn’t happy with a bit-part role at Manchester United and says the England defender has to make a decision over his future this summer.

Despite still officially being United captain, Maguire has made only eight Premier League starts this season after falling down the pecking order of centre-backs under Ten Hag.

Maguire is set to leave Old Trafford with United ready to listen to offers for the 30-year-old whose £80million transfer fee from Leicester City in 2019 was a world record for a defender.

‘Let’s say I’m happy he’s here and when we needed him he did his job. But it’s also a decision he has to make,’ said Ten Hag.

‘No-one would be happy with this situation. He is not as well. He trains always on the best levels with 100 per cent effort. So he handles that situation well and in his captaincy he’s important for the squad.

‘But he has high competition there with Raphael Varane who is fantastic.’

Ten Hag expects goalkeeper David de Gea to extend his Old Trafford career by agreeing terms over a new contract, but warned the Spaniard that he is not guaranteed the No.1 spot.

United are looking at signing a new keeper to provide more competition for De Gea, and Ten Hag told The Times: ‘I will not say he’ll always be my No.1 because in a club like Man United there must be competition in all positions.

'You can’t do it with 11 players. It is impossible. You need double positions.’

The United manager wants to see De Gea continue to improve at playing out from the back. He added: ‘It’s not what I want, it’s more what top football demands nowadays.

‘If you observe the biggest teams, you have to be capable of playing from the back and use your keeper as a plus one, otherwise it’s very simple for opponents to put you under pressure.

‘He had to step up. In a number of games, he showed progression.’