The odds on Harry Maguire joining Aston Villa before the January window slams shut have been slashed to 1/6 after he was 'spotted' near the club's training ground.
Maguire, who continues to be linked with a move away from Old Trafford, has fallen down the pecking order following the summer arrival of Lisandro Martinez.
He had a strong showing with England at this winter's World Cup, forming a solid partnership with John Stones.
But the former Leicester defender has been overlooked by manager Erik ten Hag since returning from international duty. In fact, Luke Shaw was selected ahead of him against Nottingham Forest and Wolves at the end of December.
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Maguire's name continues to feature in the daily rumour mill and this weekend, speculation intensified regarding his future after he was spotted in the West Midlands.
Firstly, Lichfield bar Le Rêve posted a picture of the England international "enjoying the atmosphere" on their Instagram page. They wrote on Sunday: "It was a pleasure to have Manchester United captain and England player Marry Maguire in last night."
A quick Google search tells us that Le Rêve is a 23-minute drive from Bodymoor Heath, where Aston Villa's training ground is located.
And soon, another picture emerged which reportedly shows Maguire alongside his agent.
As a result, the odds on Maguire joining Unai Emery's side have fallen dramatically. Sky Bet have pinned him at 1/6 to sign for the Premier League outfit before February 3rd.
Tottenham are second favourites at 14/1, while Chelsea [20/1], former club Leicester [25/1] and high-flying Newcastle [33/1] are also mentioned in the race to sign the centre-back.
After United's win against Wolves last month, former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand said Maguire should be looking to leave Old Trafford after Luke Shaw was selected ahead of him.
"This is not long-term," Ferdinand told BT Sport as Shaw started as centre-back.
"It did raise my eyebrows when I saw Lindelof and Maguire on the bench. If they weren’t fit they wouldn’t be on the bench. If they weren’t able to play some part of the game they wouldn’t be on the bench."
He added: "It shows what he [ten Hag] thinks of those two guys when he is playing Luke Shaw at centre-half.
"If I’m Harry Maguire, I am looking for a new club right now, I have to be honest. You saw what he does for England, he is impeccable for England, he is faultless for England. He puts in good, solid performances for England.
"At Manchester United, it just hasn’t worked out for him. This manager, it is showing in his team selection that he is not going to be one of the top two, three centre-halves in his squad.
"So I am thinking if I am him in his shoes, I would be saying, find me somewhere else where I can go and enjoy my football and be playing regularly."
Thoughts on Maguire's future? Do you think he would flourish at Aston Villa?
Let us know in the comments.
Topics: Harry Maguire, Aston Villa, Manchester United, Transfers, Manchester United Transfer News & Rumours
Jack Kenmare