Maguire odds on for Aston Villa move as star spotted in Birmingham

ten Hag comments on Man Utd's January transfer plans

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Manchester United star Harry Maguire is odds on to join Aston Villa this month with leading bookmakers slashing their price to 1/6. The England international was spotted in Birmingham on Saturday night, sparking speculation that he is in the area to complete a move.

Maguire has made just seven Premier League appearances for United so far this season, with the arrival of Lisandro Martinez from Ajax in the summer forcing him to settle for a spot on the bench more regularly.

The Qatar World Cup provided the former Hull City star with the perfect opportunity to put himself in the shop window ahead of the January transfer window, with many expecting the 29-year-old to leave the club in pursuit of more regular game time.

And Villa fans feel that they have reason to believe Maguire will be their first signing of this month after he was spotted in a bar in Linchfield and took photos with fans. The selfies prompted an influx of punters backing the central defender to head to Villa park, with his price being cut quickly.

The Daily Mail have reported that United are reluctant to part ways with Maguire this month, with Erik ten Hag keen to retain his defensive squad depth. However, Luke Shaw has slotted seamlessly into the centre of his backline over the past few weeks, which could prompt the Red Devils to re-evaluate their stance.

Maguire has struggled since joining the Red Devils from Leicester City in 2019, with many questioning how he has managed to retain club captaincy despite that. Though former United star Paul Parker believes that the armband should be given to Bruno Fernandes sooner rather than later, labelling the current situation as ‘embarrassing’.

He told MyBettingSites: “Honestly, the situation with Harry Maguire is embarrassing now. The way he is taking away the armband from Bruno Fernandes is miserable. He should never do that and Erik ten Hag needs to take the decision now to take away the armband from Maguire for good.

“He can’t play for a top side like Man City, Liverpool or Newcastle because they are defending with a high line. He needs to play for a team that defends with a low block because he is too nervous and too slow to play for a big club.

“But I think he is quite happy at Man United and most likely he will settle and enjoy his time on the bench because he knows that any other club would be a step down from Man United.”

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