Serie A powerhouses Napoli have supposedly expressed an interest in signing Manchester United defender Harry Maguire on a free transfer next summer.
If the 31-year-old's one-year contract option is not triggered, he can leave the Red Devils for nothing at the end of the season, and the centre-back is free to start negotiating pre-contract deals with foreign clubs as early as January.
Maguire was never a consistent starter under Erik ten Hag, who memorably stripped him of the captaincy, but there are signs that he could be the perfect fit for Ruben Amorim's system.
The former Leicester City man played the full 90 in last weekend's 2-1 derby win over Manchester City as part of Amorim's back three, a formation he is familiar with from his time in the England national team.
However, Leny Yoro, Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt are expected to be Amorim's first-choice rearguard setup moving forward, and Noussair Mazraoui can also deputise as a right-sided centre-back.
Maguire to seal Man United reunion in Naples?
© Imago
Maguire has nevertheless revealed that he has held "positive" talks with the Man United hierarchy over his contract situation, but the consensus is that he will be leaving for a new challenge next summer.
According to The Athletic - via The Mirror - Napoli head coach Antonio Conte, who is familiar with Maguire's qualities from his time managing in the Premier League, is on board with the idea of bringing him to Italy on a free transfer.
The Partenopei have already raided Old Trafford for one new arrival in 2024, snapping up Scott McTominay from the Red Devils, and Conte has supposedly been left "hugely impressed" by the Scotland international.
McTominay has been a frequent starter for Napoli in the 2024-25 Serie A season, banking three goals and three assists in 14 top-flight games, and Conte's side are now believed to be pursuing defensive reinforcements.
Napoli currently sit top of the Serie A table as a fascinating race for the Scudetto continues, but Conte's men are just one point clear of Atalanta BC - who have a game in hand - and four points better off than Inter Milan, who have played two fewer matches.
Why Maguire could still revive Man United career
© Imago
Even though the £80m man has never been able to adapt to the demands of a back four, playing as the central centre-back in a three-man wall suits him down to the ground, as Amorim himself recently pointed out.
Maguire has plentiful experience in a three-man England rearguard, and no matter how much he may have been struggling in a Man United shirt, he rarely let his country down under Gareth Southgate.
The Red Devils also have history of triggering contract options for players about to enter the final years of their deals in January, and even if it is just to avoid losing the world's most expensive defender for free, it would not be surprising to see Man United activate Maguire's.
That would give the 31-year-old a few months to both assess his own situation and potentially cement his place in Amorim's plans for the next couple of years, unless an offer that he cannot refuse comes calling.
Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans are already likely to move on in 2025, and if Man United cannot land the targets they want next summer, keeping Maguire for at least one more year should be a no-brainer.
Ben Knapton
