Harry Maguire could be in line for an awkward meeting with Chelsea ’s Michy Batshuayi should he seal a surprise move away from Manchester United.
The Red Devils’ captain has been linked with a shock move to Stamford Bridge with reports on Friday suggesting that the Blues had lodged an enquiry regarding his availability amid United’s interest in American wideman Christian Pulisic and their own need for more defensive recruits.
It appears unlikely that a deal will go through, with Erik ten Hag still indicating that the former Leicester City star was still among his key players during pre-season, whilst the Blues are appearing to still prefer a move for Frenchman Wesley Fofana.
On the off chance that Maguire seals a switch to Stamford Bridge in the near future, he might need to bury the hatchet with Belgian striker Batshuayi who is surprisingly still a Chelsea player.
The pair were involved in a contentious incident during the Red Devils’ 2-0 victory in West London back in February 2020. With the scores locked at 0-0, Maguire and Batshuayi both challenged for the ball in the first-half of the game, the former losing his balance towards the dugouts.
He then appeared to extend his leg towards the Chelsea man, making contact, with a number calling for the defender to be sent off. Batshuayi then continued the debate on social media with a screengrab of the incident accompanied by a few thinking emojis.
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Maguire avoided any punishment for the incident and then rubbed salt into Chelsea wounds by scoring the second goal of the game. Following the final whistle, he admitted that he made contact with Batshuayi and could see why the Chelsea staff were in uproar.
He said: “I can see why. I felt like at the time, I knew I caught him but I felt like he was going to fall on me and my natural reaction was to straighten my leg to try and, if he was to fall on me, hold him up.
“Obviously, I’ve got studs on my boots and it probably looks worse on TV. It was my natural reaction. It wasn’t a kick out or any intent or anything like that. It was just my natural reaction to straighten my leg and if he was going to fall on me to just hold him up really.
“I knew I did catch him at the time and I think it was the right decision in the end.”
Of course, Batshuayi might not even be at Chelsea should Maguire sign for the club. The former Marseille striker has not made an appearance for the Blues since the 2019/20 season and has since been sent out on loans to Crystal Palace and Besiktas.
With just one year remaining on his current deal, he could be on the move once more. Premier League rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers have been linked with a swoop as they look to add to their attacking options.
