Manchester United have had little success in the transfer market when it comes to signing a new centre back so far this summer. Tottenham Hotspur’s Toby Alderweireld has been targeted as a potential option, but a deal reportedly fell through for the Belgian international after Spurs chairman Daniel Levy hiked up the asking price to unreasonable levels. Bayern Munich’s Jerome Boateng and AC Milan’s Leonardo Bonucci have both been linked with a move to Old Trafford, but little in the way of concrete news has surfaced on either over the last few weeks, leaving many to assume that Jose Mourinho may have to make do with the five senior centre backs that he currently has at his disposal.
The Daily Mail think differently, and suggest that United will now turn their attention to Leicester City’s Harry Maguire. The former Hull centre back, who was signed by the Foxes last summer for £17m has been hugely impressive for Gareth Southgate’s England side during this summer’s World Cup, and his performances have reportedly impressed Jose Mourinho to the point where United are interested in securing his services.
There’s an element of opportunism to the reporting here, if purely because it’s common knowledge that United require a centre back, and Maguire’s form has been excellent in Russia. Putting these two factors together, along with a £50m fee would certainly seem plausible enough, and if it is taken as fact, then it’s worth noting that Leicester will surely be loath to lose another big name from their team after selling Riyad Mahrez to Manchester City earlier this month, thus a deal would likely be less-than easy. But in all honesty, it would be a surprise to see United bid for Maguire’s services, not because he hasn’t impressed during this summer’s tournament, but because the club are most likely looking for a more experienced option.
