The England player is below Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, and Victor Lindelof in the hierarchy. Erik ten Hag has emphasized his satisfaction that Harry Maguire is staying at Manchester United and stated that the former leader possesses the qualities to excel in his style of football.
United accepted a £30m offer from West Ham for the England player, but the deal fell through earlier this week, and the 30-year-old is set to remain at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag has been eager to highlight that he was not trying to push Maguire out, but the £80m acquisition only made eight league starts last season and was an unused substitute in Monday's win over Wolves, with Victor Lindelof coming on ahead of him.
The United manager said: "Harry is a player for us. I am glad he is here. We need a strong squad, we have four outstanding center halves - including Luke Shaw, we have five - and we need it because we are going to participate in 50-60 games this season, and all the players are internationals. We have a significant workload to manage, so I am satisfied that Harry Maguire is here.
"He has to compete for his position - as everyone in the squad must - because we have built a squad with two [players] for every position, and we need it. He knows what I expect from him. You know what I anticipate from a center half, and he can deliver. He possesses the abilities to do so, so now he must demonstrate it. It then becomes a question of character, being convinced to fulfill that role. He has all the abilities to do it, and it is up to him when the opportunity [to play] arises."
United is in talks with Jonny Evans regarding the extension of his short-term contract. The 35-year-old, who left Old Trafford in 2015, returned after departing Leicester and could have benefited if Maguire had been sold.
However, Ten Hag stated that he wanted the Northern Ireland player to stay, adding: "Of course, otherwise we would not be discussing it. When we have news, we will announce it as always."
Ten Hag mentioned that his squad is complete, but he is still looking to make moves in the transfer window, explaining: "Our squad is adequately filled, and all positions are covered. However, as Manchester United, we are always seeking improvement. And when the opportunity arises, we will take action in the final two weeks."