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Manchester United are through to their second final of the current campaign, after emerging victorious against Brighton during their FA Cup semi-final clash over the weekend.
The Red Devils rode their luck all the way through to the penalty shootout before Solly March’s blazed spot-kick signalled the end of the Seagulls’ resistance.
Victor Lindelof stepped up and confidently dispatched his spot kick, sending United fans all over the world into raptures.
The Sweden captain kept his place in the starting eleven, despite enduring a difficult evening during United’s humiliating 0-3 second leg away defeat against Sevilla in the Europa League last Thursday.
His partner on the night Harry Maguire was suspended for the Wembley outing and there are doubts whether he can make his way back into the first XI even with injuries.
The 30-year-old was subjected to heavy criticism following the Europa League game, having given the ball away for Sevilla’s opener on the night.
The intense scrutiny was harsh considering Maguire had been given a hospital pass to deal with by goalkeeper David de Gea while he was being converged on by a trio of Sevilla markers.
The United skipper has often found himself being made into a scapegoat by fans and the media alike, and there remains a real possibility of him exiting Old Trafford this summer.
Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane have struck up a strong partnership at the heart of defence for the Red Devils this season and the 20-time English champions are also likely to usher in more reinforcements in the summer, furthering the argument for Maguire to seek pastures new.
In his latest column for CaughtOffside, former Premier League forward Stan Collymore addressed the possibility of the Englishman’s departure from Manchester this summer.
“He has to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season,” Collymore said.
“I would love to see him at Villa Park – I’d drive 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’re big enough to match his ambition, they’ve got an experienced manager who could definitely get the best out of him and competition for Tyrone Mings would only be a positive thing.”
Aston Villa have been flying high under new manager Unai Emery.
The Villans are unbeaten in nine league games, have taken 23 points out of a possible 27 and suddenly find themselves in the mix for European football next summer.
Maguire has been a much maligned figure since his move to Old Trafford, but there is a Rolls-Royce of a defender in there who remains a mainstay in the English national team setup.
If he were to move to Villa Park this summer, he could transform the side and with it, perhaps revive his own flailing club career in the process.
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