With a price tag suggesting that he is among the world’s elite center-backs, Manchester United target Harry Maguire has proven to be one of the most intriguing transfer sagas of the summer.
On paper, Leicester City and England defender Harry Maguire is one of the world’s best without a shadow of a doubt. The 26-year old has started in a World Cup semifinal and emerged as one of the Premier League’s best defenders for the Foxes following a £12 million move from relegated Hull City two years ago.
In reality, however, the idea that Leicester could capitalize on an inflated transfer market to force Manchester United to break the world record fee for a defender on an imperfect player is downright staggering. Maguire is simply not of the caliber of defender of Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk, who cost the Reds £75 million in January of 2018.
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While Maguire does have quality, especially when considering his aerial ability and ball-playing skills at the back, the title of being the most expensive defender in history should fall to a more complete player such as Van Dijk.
Reports have suggested that Leicester could even command a £90 million fee for Maguire, a price tag that would prove truly difficult to live up to. Although he would walk into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side immediately as the best defender at the club and a stark improvement to United’s current situation at the heart of defense, the expectation of playing for a club like United would only be magnified with being the most expensive defender in history.
With much better value available on the market, for example, Tottenham stalwart Toby Alderweireld, who has a release clause of just £25 million, a rebuild the size of United’s cannot afford to spend so heavily on an imperfect player when several pieces are needed in the spine of the team.
The Red Devils have placed a clear emphasis on defense in this transfer window, having already signed highly-regarded Crystal Palace fullback Aaron Wan-Bissaka for just under £50 million earlier this summer. While few other transfer headlines have come out of Old Trafford since the signing of Wan-Bissaka, the story of United’s summer will be defined by players still under contract.
Should United lose Romelu Lukaku and especially Paul Pogba, there will be work to do that goes far beyond Maguire in terms of replacing the club’s previous two record arrivals at key areas in midfield and attack. While United would be getting a good player in Maguire, they would need a truly great or transcendent player in defense in order to justify such a hefty fee in a transitional period at Old Trafford.
In a massive summer window where United must pivot without the allure of Champions League football in order to remain relevant in an increasingly-competitive Premier League, while Maguire would undoubtedly represent an upgrade, he simply is not the complete anchor at the back United are seeking.