Newcastle United are reportedly keen on Hull City defender Harry Maguire.
Stoke City’s Wilfried Bony in action with Hull City’s Harry Maguire
According to The Sun, Newcastle United are leading the race to snap up Hull City defender Harry Maguire in a £12million summer deal.
The Magpies moved a step closer to promotion to the Premier League with a 3-1 win away at Huddersfield Town on Saturday evening, with Rafael Benitez’s side sitting five points clear at the top of the Championship table.
Whilst Benitez was active in the transfer market last summer, he was left frustrated by the club’s inactivity during the January transfer window, with some focus already being placed on the summer window.
Should Newcastle win promotion, they will be looking for major reinforcements – and The Sun report that Benitez’s men are chasing a deal for Hull City defender Harry Maguire.
Maguire, 24, joined Hull from Sheffield United in 2014, and whilst his first two years with the club were fairly uneventful, he has emerged as a leader of the Hull back four this season.
Not only has Maguire impressed with his defensive attributes such as his aerial ability and his strength, but his ability on the ball has also caught the eye this term, as Maguire has flashed the ability to bring the ball out from the back.
Newcastle United Manager Rafael Benitez
Hull activated an option on Maguire’s contract to keep him at the club until 2018, but it’s claimed that with no sign of a new and improved long-term deal, Maguire is keen on a summer move away from the KCOM Stadium.
The report states that Maguire would jump at the chance to sign for Newcastle if they return to the Premier League, with the Magpies now leading top-flight sides in the £12million race for Maguire’s signature.
Benitez already has the likes of Jamaal Lascelles and Ciaran Clark, but Chancel Mbemba has become the forgotten man in the Newcastle defence this season, whilst Grant Hanley has failed to impress since his move from Blackburn last summer – meaning a move for another defender could be a priority, with Maguire allegedly a target.
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