ERIK TEN HAG has told Harry Maguire: ‘If you don’t want to fight for your place then go’.

Maguire’s £30million switch from Manchester United to West Ham has stalled on personal terms.

Erik ten Hag has told Harry Maguire to leave Man Utd if he doesn’t want to fight for his place

His contract lowers his pay from £190,000 to £120,000 per week, and United has given him a £6 million payout to help make up the shortfall.

Maguire has made a forlorn figure ever since he lost the captaincy earlier this summer, but nothing has changed.

But now manager Ten Hag has demanded the player commits fully to Man United or walks out of the door.

Ten Hag said: “For Harry, that is just how I described it. He has to fight for his place.

“He has the ability to be a top-class centre-back and he is the best for England so why shouldn’t he be the best for us — but he has to prove it.

“When he is not confident enough to fight then he has to go. Then he has to make a decision but I’m happy with him.”

Maguire is in the squad for tonight’s Premier League opener at home to Wolves.

Ten Hag’s ability to field two potent teams when they played twice on consecutive days during the preseason was demonstrated.

The manager also encourages players who did not start tonight to compete to make the regular starting XI.

He said: “We don’t have a squad with 11 players, and the last year proved definitely we need all the players.

“So that means you need some high-level players who are maybe not starting but that can change so there is an internal competition — everyone has to fight for his place.

“Every player, when they are good, will get their games but no one can play all the games and finally you find out what is the best team.

“In the squad now all the positions are double and every player has the perspective to fight for his place.

“It is up to the players if they have game time or less.”

One player who will not be figuring tonight is £72m new striker Rasmus Hojlund, who is still getting fit after suffering a slight injury in pre-season with his now former club Atalanta.

Ten Hag said: “We are not in a rush. We know without him we have a strong team and the position is covered.

“It is about him getting to the right fitness level and then we have to integrate him in training and bring him in for the games.

“So we take our time. It is not about winning in this moment, it is about winning in the long term.”

ManUnited, in Ten Hag’s opinion, are also prepared to triumph.

The Red Devils reached the FA Cup final, won the Carabao Cup, and qualified for the Champions League last season after finishing third. They also won their first trophy in six years.

And Ten Hag, who took over in July 2022, said: “We couldn’t expect this, where we are now, when we look back a year.

“We showed we could beat all the good teams, the best teams in the world.

“We have a really good foundation and now we have to work on it and do it consistently.

“If we work well, with the right plan and efforts in place and we work with consistency, we will be more successful — and we can make that step.”