Manchester United have reportedly reached an £85 million agreement with Leicester City for the transfer of England international Harry Maguire.
One of the biggest transfer sagas of this summer window is set to reach a conclusion as Manchester United have struck an agreement with fellow Premier League side Leicester City for the signing of primary defensive target Harry Maguire, an exclusive report from The Telegraph has claimed.
Leicester City are reported to have a whopping £85 million offer from Manchester United for the 26-year-old Maguire, which will make him the most expensive defender in the world. The English defender is expected to undergo a medical on Saturday, with an official announcement to follow.
Maguire has been a top transfer target for Manchester United throughout the summer, as manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer sought to tighten a leaky backline that shipped in 54 goals in the Premier League last season. The recent injury to Eric Bailly, which will sideline him till Christmas, served to strengthen United’s resolve further to sign the Leicester star.
However, the Foxes’ £90 million valuation of the player was proving to be a stumbling block for the transfer to go through. Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers confirmed that the club had knocked back two offers for Maguire as they stood firm on their valuation of the 26-year-old.
As per the report from The Telegraph though, the two clubs have come to an agreement on a transfer fee of £85 million, after director of football Jon Rudkin convinced chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha to sign off on the deal as it would reach their £90 million valuation with add-ons.
It has been quite slow-going for Manchester United in the summer transfer window. Having completed deals for Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, the Red Devils had gone quiet on the transfers front, leading to frustration among the fans as they prepared for another disappointing summer.
Harry Maguire's value has gone up by 3,100% in five years.
Hull signed him for £2.5m in 2014.
Leicester signed him for £17m for 2017.
Manchester United signing him for £80m.— Kaveh Solhekol (@SkyKaveh) August 2, 2019
But, the news of Maguire’s imminent transfer is set to come as a huge boost for the 20-time English champions. The 26-year-old has established himself as one of the best defenders in the Premier League in the past couple of years and has the capability to form a rock-solid partnership with Victor Lindelof at Manchester United for years to come.
As far as Leicester are concerned, they are set to make a huge profit on Maguire, having signed him for just £17 million from Hull City in 2017. The Foxes have eyeing for Brighton’s Lewis Dunk and Burnley mainstay James Tarkowski as a possible replacement for the England international.
