Leicester City will reportedly reject Manchester United’s £70 million bid for Harry Maguire and demand £20 million more to close a deal.
The report reveals that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has named Maguire as his first-choice target in the heart of defence but their initial bid of £70 million will be rejected by the Foxes. Leicester City will hold out for £90 million for the 26-year-old which would break the world record for a defender set by Liverpool when they signed Virgil van Dijk from Southampton for £75 million.
Maguire has also been of interest from United’s local rivals Manchester City but Pep Guardiola’s interest in the Englishman looks to have cooled down over the last few weeks. The Red Devils are certainly in pole position to complete the signing but Solskjaer will have to spend an additional £20 million for that this summer.
United missed out on Champions League football after finishing sixth in the Premier League last season. The Red Devils have started off their transfer business on a positive note by completing the deals to sign Daniel James from Swansea and Aaron Wan Bissaka from Crystal Palace.
However, the centre of defence is a huge priority especially after United conceded 54 goals last season, the worst record among the top nine teams in the league. A full England international, Maguire is at the perfect stage of his career to take the big step and Manchester United’s defence will certainly be improved with his signing this summer.
Leicester, on the other hand, will be able to find a good enough replacement for their star defender with the money they will receive for him and if they can spend that wisely, they can certainly improve more than just one position in their squad.
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