Central defenders Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, and Victor Lindelof have been favored over Maguire, who started only eight Premier League games in the previous season. Maguire was even stripped of the captaincy during the summer, and there were talks of a potential move to West Ham United, either on a permanent deal or loan. However, that move to the London Stadium didn't materialize.
In the current season, Maguire has only been in the starting lineup for two of Manchester United's 11 games across all competitions. He recently hinted at a possible departure if his playing time continued to be limited to "once every month." While West Ham still holds an interest in him, AC Milan is reportedly one of several Serie A clubs closely monitoring Maguire's situation.
Notably, Maguire could follow in the footsteps of former Manchester United defender Chris Smalling, who revitalized his career in Italy with AS Roma after falling down the pecking order at Old Trafford.
Italy has become a destination for several English players, including Tammy Abraham, who plays for Roma, and Fikayo Tomori and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who are teammates at AC Milan.
Tomori, who left Chelsea in 2021, has become a regular in AC Milan's first team, making 116 appearances in all competitions, including 45 outings last season.
Loftus-Cheek, on the other hand, made a move from Stamford Bridge to San Siro in the summer and has already featured in midfield eight times, including five starts in Serie A. Whether Maguire, who still has nearly two years left on his Manchester United contract, would consider a move abroad at this stage of his career remains to be seen.
The speculation surrounding Maguire's future comes at a time when Manchester United is reportedly exploring the market for a new central defender. Sporting Lisbon's Goncalo Inacio is said to be one of their top targets ahead of the New Year. However, whether United intensifies their pursuit of the 22-year-old may depend on Maguire's future.
Other potential targets for Manchester United include Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi, as well as players like Benfica's Antonio Silva, Nice's Jean-Clair Todibo, and Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba.
Meanwhile, Maguire's teammate Victor Lindelof has expressed his desire to remain at Manchester United and believes it is "quite likely" that the club will activate the one-year option to extend his contract.
