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Man Utd defender Harry Maguire has been told Unai Emery «would get the best of him» if he signed for Aston Villa this summer.
The centre-back has come under regular criticism over the last two seasons and has slipped down the pecking order under Erik ten Hag.
The Dutchman has preferred to use Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane this season, but with both players injured, Maguire and Victor Lindelof have played more of late.
But Maguire was unable to impress and made a huge mistake during United’s shock 3-0 defeat by Sevilla earlier this month.
Now Maguire is expected to be fired in the summer, with Napoli’s Kim Min-jae lined up as a potential replacement.
Stan Collymore has now suggested that Aston Villa would be an ideal destination for the England international, who needs players around him to «mask his areas of weakness».
“About potential players leaving United man… Whilst I think the criticism he receives is extremely unfair at times, I think Harry Maguire, for his own good, needs to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season,” Collymore told Caught Offside.
“He is a quality centre-back who puts his body into play, but he has his limits; it’s just about putting others around him to mask those areas of weakness and, personally, I think a team like Aston Villa can offer that to him. I’d love to see him at Villa Park – I’d take him from Manchester to the Midlands myself if I could.
“A club like Aston Villa and Maguire would be a match made in heaven – they are big enough to match his ambitions, they have an experienced manager who could certainly get the best out of him and competition for Tyrone Mings would only be a good thing.”
Maguire missed Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Brighton due to suspension. Following United’s shoot-out win, Collymore praised Ten Hag for what could potentially be a «fantastic season opener» at Old Trafford.
“Regardless of what happens at Wembley in June [Fa Cup final]assuming United can finish in the top four of the Premier League, I think Champions League qualification, a trophy and a final in another competition would be a fantastic opening season for Erik Ten Hag.
“He has made Manchester United competitive again and the only way to judge a manager is by his ability to improve players, and I think you only have to look at what he has done with the likes of Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw to see him is a great coach.»
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