Interim coach praises defender and says club need a balance of young talent and experienced players
Michael Carrick has hinted that Manchester United defender Harry Maguire could sign a contract extension with the club.
Maguire’s contract runs out in the summer, and there has been talk of an extension, but it is known that United will only keep him beyond June if he agrees to a wage cut. The club are on a cost-cutting scheme instituted by new regime Ineos.
Top earners Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho have left the club on loan and are not expected to be United players beyond the summer. Casemiro, on £350,000-a-week wages, is leaving the club after his contract expires at the end of the season.
“Harry’s an impressive character,” Carrick said. “He’s had a great career so far, hopefully there’s a lot more to come,” Carrick said.
“The journey and the experiences that he’s had, certainly since he’s been here and with England as well, showed exactly what he is. I think we all know the player that he is and what he’s capable of doing.
“The other night [against Everton] I thought he was fantastic. Experience helps. His attributes help, and his character. His willingness to put himself out there. He’s really impressive at his age and he’s been really important for us.”
I love this club ❤️ pic.twitter.com/1H5wFAsDFf
— Harry Maguire (@HarryMaguire93) October 19, 2025
Maguire has said he is interested in remaining at the club. The 32-year-old called United “an amazing club” earlier this season and insisted that “you’d be silly if you wanted to jump out of it as soon as you could”. Maguire remains one of the oldest and most experienced players currently in the United squad.
“Within the squad there’s always that balance,” Carrick said. “You want that younger potential and that excitement of developing players and helping players, but you need that little sweet spot in the middle where the play is at the peak.
“You need that within the group and experience is massive. It’s hard to put a price on how valuable that can be, whether that’s individuals or experience as a whole group.”
A New Deal for Harry Maguire? Manchester United’s Options Assessed
Harry Maguire was once the poster boy for everything wrong with Manchester United.
Brutally trolled on social media and told he was surplus to requirements, with then manager Erik ten Hag ready to ship him off the West Ham, the England defender insisted on remaining at the club, and he soon became the poster boy for resilience and mental strength.
Maguire has started and played full time in all six of United’s games so far under Michael Carrick. They have kept three clean sheets in that time, one more than they had managed in the previous 21.
United are better under Carrick, and while that is down to many factors, Maguire is an important part of it. But does the 32-year-old deserve a contract extension?
