Stevie Nicol thinks it’s not a good idea that Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur are considering signing Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire.
The Anfield legend thinks Tottenham are ‘asking for trouble’ by possibly adding the 30-year-old to their ranks this summer because fans ‘can’t wait for him to make a mistake’, as he told ESPN.
Despite being a regular for England, Harry Maguire has struggled on the domestic stage, so much so that he has been warming the bench under Erik ten Hag this season.
Even though the Manchester United boss stated earlier on this season that Maguire has been ‘dominant’ when handed his chance, there doesn’t seem to be a future for him at Old Trafford.
It seems as though he needs a fresh start and a drop-down from the current level he is playing at, which Spurs currently are, and even then questions are being raised.
Either way, whoever signs the hard-hitting defender, then there will be a lot of noise around him and Nicol thinks it’s something Tottenham don’t need.
“You are asking for trouble as well,” said Nicol. “Not just on the field. You have Spurs fans who, the snobbery you are talking about because you are signing Postecoglou.
“You go sign Harry Maguire, then they will all be going ‘hold on, why are we signing a guy, who has been an absolute nightmare, who will come here’.
“So you are going to have a player in your team, right from the get-go, who the fans can’t wait for him to make a mistake to get on him. It’s not only going to crush him, it’s going to start affecting everybody else.
“Harry Maguire isn’t just a gamble on the field. He’s a gamble off the field as well.”
Would Maguire suit Postecoglou’s style?
The instant answer is no because things are about to change at Spurs, especially the club’s style of play.
Maguire suited Spurs when Antonio Conte was in the dugout and they were playing five at the back, defending on the edge of their own box and not pushing high up.
But Postecoiglou likes to be on the front foot, dominate possession, which leaves his centre-backs exposed, so that’s not really Maguire’s game.
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