Rafael van der Vaart beat Manchester United’s Harry Maguire

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has been fiercely criticized by former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rafael van der Vaart once again.

The former Netherlands international midfielder has been very critical of the England star since his move to Old Trafford and he reiterated his views on the Manchester United captain while previewing the club’s game against Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Van der Vaart went on to insist that Maguire “really is” on live TV and he revealed he has no idea why the Red Devils decided to pay a club-record fee for him.

According to the former Spurs midfielder, there are several players like him at an amateur club in the Netherlands.

He said above Ziggo Sport: “I talk about Harry Maguire too much, so I try to avoid him. But he really is a person. I have said this very often.

“I cannot avoid the fact that United paid 90 million euros for him. That’s his price! Where did they find him? You will find players like him in any amateur club in the Netherlands.

“I think it’s unbelievable. He’s not a top defender – and he shows it every week. If you go out and sign players like him, I can understand why you have financial problems.”

Maguire has struggled with injuries and a drop in form this season and the England international could use a period of respite to fully recover and regain his edge.

The former Leicester City star has had some error-prone performances under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and it will be interesting if newly appointed manager Ralf Rangnick decides to give him a break.

Players like Victor Lindelof or Eric Bailly could start with Raphael Varane in the next few weeks.

There is no doubt that the 28-year-old could become a useful defender in his day. However, his recent form is certainly subject to criticism.

In the last 10 appearances for Manchester United, the Red Devils have conceded 21 goals in all competitions and Maguire has also received a red card in that time. That said, he is not solely responsible for all the goals conceded. However, he is the captain of the team and he should have done a lot better with his decision-making and organization in defence.

The Premier League giants will have to squeeze at the back to climb up the table and it remains to be seen how Rangnick copes with the situation over the next few weeks.