Manchester United have withdrawn themselves from the race to sign Leicester City’s Harry Maguire, according to reports.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer set a target for Ed Woodward to bolster United’s ranks in every area of the pitch this summer. So far, the club have managed to bring in Daniel James from Swansea, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka is set to be announced imminently. A couple of other targets remain on their radar but with pre-season training starting in two days, they need to move quick.
Signing a new center-back was one of United’s main priorities going into this transfer market. Despite the club snapping up Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly over the last three windows, the pair have had mixed seasons since their move to Old Trafford. Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have somehow stood the test of time and perplexed the entire United fan base when they signed new five year contracts with the club last season.
Jose Mourinho was desperate to sign a new center-back last season, but the board refused to back his demands. In hindsight, they should have listened to him. Then again, they never really have done anything that would be more beneficial to the club rather than themselves.
United have been after Harry Maguire since last summer. That could have been the perfect time to sign him as Leicester seemed more reasonable. Manchester City wanted him for a while as well. However, he is well beyond anyone’s reach now.
The Foxes are eager to pull off a shock once more and qualify for Europe again. They have lofty ambitions and signing Brendan Rodgers last season was testament to their desire to fight for more than just a mid-table finish. With that in mind, it wouldn’t make sense for them to let go of their best players.
Maguire is viewed as one of their best, and so it is understandable that they are doing everything in their power to hold on to him. United, being the behemoth they are when it comes to money, would under normal circumstances be willing to meet a player’s valuation if he was someone they really needed.
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However, according to reports, Leicester are demanding a scarcely believable amount of £100 million for him.
No club, no matter how rich they are, would be willing to pay that much for Maguire. Obviously, United have pulled out of the race for him since then and are now focusing on other targets as they try to win back their Champions League spot next season.
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