Harry Maguire’s time at Manchester United has been riddled with intense criticism that usually comes with a price tag of £80m.
This move from Leicester City to the Red Devils in 2019 makes the United number five the most expensive defender of all time.
During his first season, he started every Premier League game and was a rock at the heart of the defence, keeping 13 league clean sheets.
But since then, he’s had the captain's armband taken off him by Erik ten Hag and made just 20 league starts under the Dutch boss.
This season, the 30-year-old picked up an injury in December after a decent run of displays, which saw him miss six games. But it did provide an opportunity for a young star to shine.
Willy Kambwala’s 2023/24 season
19-year-old Willy Kambwala has been called upon by the manager this season in an attempt to ease the Red Devils' centre-back injury woes.
This issue was particularly apparent towards the end of December, when the French star made his first Premier League start on the road to West Ham United in a 2-0 defeat.
Kambwala thrived on the ball, showing technical class and having 90% pass accuracy and 90 touches. But the teenager struggled with the pace of the game from an out-of-possession perspective, losing all of his duels, unlike the next potential Maguire successor, who has now fully adapted to the men’s game.
Will Fish’s season so far
Over the past 18 months, Will Fish has really developed into a promising young centre-back who has all the attributes to become an excellent player back at his parent club, United.
The 21-year-old centre-half is currently in his second year on loan at Hibernian in Scotland, where he has become one of the key players in the team.
This season, he’s started all 25 games for the club, impressing with his maturity and the fact that he plays with “no fear,” according to former Hibbs coach Lee Johnson.
Johnson continued to speak highly of Fish, stating: “If you wanted to build a centre-half, I’m telling you, Will Fish is what you’d build – he’s quick, he’s strong and he’s good on the ball.”
The England rock’s performance against Aberdeen earlier this season proved why he has the potential to become a huge asset to the United squad when he returns to Old Trafford.
Minutes
97
Goals
1
Goals conceded
0
Clearances
12
Tackles
2
Aerial duels won
8/9
One of Maguire’s biggest strengths is his dominance in the air, which sees him rank in the top 12% for aerials won in the Premier League this season, but Fish would be able to mirror that, as shown by his 8/9 aerial duels won.
Fish is also a threat in the opposition penalty box, and with his 6-foot-1 frame allowing him to get on the end of set pieces, he can score goals, as displayed by his five goals in 56 appearances in Scotland.
Overall, it’s clear that both Fish and Kambwala have bags of potential, and given the former's growth, in particular, this season, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him frequently feature in the first-team squad at the end of his loan, potentially being the successor to Maguire.
