Harry Maguire could be on the move before the summer transfer window slams shut.The Manchester United captain is entering his fourth season at Old Trafford amidst a storm of criticism, picking up from where he left off in the 2021/22 campaign by continuing to look shaky at the heart of the club's defence.Despite having enjoyed a stellar 2020/21 season and Euro 2020 tournament, Maguire has seen his form fall off a cliff in the past 12 months and the last two matches have done little to suggest that he's arrested that slump.

Doubts over Maguire's feature

Erik ten Hag might have confirmed his status as club captain, but miserable performances against Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford alongside Lisandro Martinez could well see him dropped to the bench.

After all, none other than four-time Champions League winner Raphael Varane has been watching said Premier League defeats from the sidelines and must now fancy his chances of starting ahead of Maguire for the Liverpool clash.

And his path to the team sheet could well be made even easier in a world where Maguire waves goodbye to the 'Theatre of Dreams', which could legitimately happen if an unlikely Chelsea move comes to pass.

Soccer Football - Premier League - Brentford v Manchester United - Brentford Community Stadium, London, Britain - August 13, 2022 Manchester United's Harry Maguire applauds fans after the match Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.

Chelsea make 'shock enquiry' for Maguire

That's because the Daily Mail turned heads on Friday night by reporting that the Blues 'have made a shock enquiry about Harry Maguire’s availability,' amidst doubts over his future at Old Trafford.

Chelsea have been in desperate need of centre-back recruits this summer due to Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen leaving upon the expiration of their contracts and they've hitherto only brought in Kalidou Koulibaly to replace them.

So now it's Maguire who is said to be 'of interest' to the two-time Champions League winners as a potential move for Leicester City's Wesley Fofana continues to drag on and on.

The Mail explains that Chelsea 'have raised the possibility of taking Maguire,' as part of United's attempts to sign Christian Pulisic, who had been linked with a potential move to the Red Devils on loan.

As such, the report muses that there could be a relationship between the two transfer sagas with Maguire - who is currently valued at £34.20 million - moving from United to Chelsea while Pulisic potentially moves in the opposite direction.

Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Chelsea - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - October 24, 2020 Chelsea's Christian Pulisic in action with Manchester United's Harry Maguire Pool via REUTERS/Michael Regan EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.

How feasible is the deal?

However, it is noted that Fofana remains the priority at Stamford Bridge with optimism having risen about a potential move next week courtesy of the player requesting to be left out of Leicester's clash with Southampton.

Either way, though, there are major implications for Maguire's future with the Mail explaining that the club captain losing his place for the Liverpool game is something that has been 'seriously considered'.

So could Maguire be facing a bit-part role under Ten Hag that possibly puts his place in England's World Cup squad in jeopardy? Could Chelsea therefore represent the perfect escape plan to revitalise his form?

Soccer Football - Pre-Season Friendly - Manchester United Training - Rajamangala National Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand - July 11, 2022 Manchester United's Harry Maguire during training REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa

Well, these are the sorts of questions that will be asked in the coming days. The transfer window sure is never short of drama.