Manchester United transfer target Harry Maguire has dropped a strong hint that he may be open to leaving Leicester City this summer.
England’s World Cup star Harry Maguire has revealed that he might be open to a summer exit from Leicester City, amid strong interest from fellow Premier League side Manchester United, as per reports from the Sun.
The 25-year old joined the Foxes from Hull City only last summer, in a £17 million deal and enjoyed a spectacular debut season at the King Power Stadium. An indispensable part of Claude Puel’s team, Maguire did not miss a single minute of Premier League football, as Leicester finished ninth in the 2017-18 campaign.
Maguire’s stock has continued to rise after a spectacular showing in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where he played a critical role in England’s run to the semifinals. And this has led to strong interest in him from Manchester United, with manager Jose Mourinho intent on making the defender his fourth signing of the ongoing transfer window.
The Red Devils are willing to shell out as much as £65 million to sign the centre-back, with the Portuguese tactician prioritizing the 25-year old ahead of the likes of Toby Alderweireld and Jerome Boateng, who also have been linked with a move this summer. Although, in order to facilitate the transfer, the Mancunians will have to sell one of their existing centre-halves, with Marcos Rojo the most likely to end up on the chopping block.
Leicester City, however, remain reluctant to lose another of their prized assets this summer, having already sold Riyad Mahrez to Manchester City. It is understood that the Foxes are drawing up a new contract worth £75,000-per-week for the England international, to prolong his stay at the club.
But, amid all the speculations, Maguire has dropped a hint that he remains open to an exit, should an offer from a top club come in, despite claiming he remains happy at Leicester.
Speaking to the Sun, the 25-year old said,”Every player wants to play at the highest level. I’ve just come back from playing at a World Cup, where I really enjoyed the high pressure of the games. It was something that I really thrived off. Leicester have been unbelievable to me and I’m really happy there but I’m also an ambitious player and everyone wants to play at the top.”
Maguire most definitely fits the bill for Manchester United. At 25, he is relatively young, but has gained valuable experience in the Premier League. Strong in the air, the Englishman is also comfortable playing with the ball at his feet. And the fact that he is ahead of two of United’s regular centre-backs, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, in the pecking order for the England national team speaks volumes of his abilities.
While Leicester are expected to fight tooth and nail to hold on to their star man, Maguire stating his ambitions of playing at the top level should spur the Red Devils to act on their interest, before the transfer window closes.
