Is Harry Maguire worth £80million to Manchester United?
By Ali Akbar
Reports suggest that Manchester United are close to signing Leicester City’s Harry Maguire for £80million in total – but is the centre-back worth it?
Manchester United are close to signing Leicester City centre-back Harry Maguire for an initial fee of £60mllion with £20million in add-ons, according to The Sun.
Former United manager Jose Mourinho initially targeted the 26-year-old in last summer’s transfer window as he looked to bolster his side’s lacklustre defence.
However, the Portuguese were not backed by his board and United went on to suffer one of their worst ever seasons in the Premier League due to their abysmal defence.
It appears that the board are not prepared to make the same mistake again this summer, and will allow Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to pick up where his predecessor left off by trying to lure Maguire to Old Trafford.
Many fans would agree that £80million is a ridiculous fee for a defender playing for a mid-table club, but such is the reality when trying to sign an English player in today’s inflated market.
If United desperately need a centre-back – which they do – then aren’t they justified in spending whatever is necessary to sort out their defensive issues once and for all?
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Not exactly. Yes, United are probably not going to get a better price from Leicester than £80million, but what about players elsewhere in Europe?
The Red Devils have been linked with centre-backs such as Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly – who has played football at a higher level than Maguire but would cost less than him.
Indeed, although Maguire has Premier League experience, Koulibaly has played in the Champions League and will no doubt adapt to the English game very quickly, as Serie A is also a very difficult, defensive league.
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Solskjaer should wait and see if he can get any good offers back from some of the top clubs in Europe before committing to signing Maguire, as he may find that he can sign a better centre-back for a lower fee.