Leicester City manager Claude Puel has explained how the club can hold on to Harry Maguire after he emerged as a Manchester United target.
The 25-year-old has a solid World Cup campaign for England and it is believed that his performances in Russia have left Mourinho impressed.
Mourinho has targeted a centre-back all summer, with the Sunday Times reporting that Ed Woodward was handed a list of nine different defenders to fulfil the role. None have been brought in as of yet.
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It now looks like United are trying to get Maguire in before the transfer window shuts on August 9.
However, Puel is adamant he can hold on to Maguire though which will surely frustrate Mourinho even more.
Claude said, as per Manchester Evening News: “I think we can keep both [Harry Maguire and Kasper Schmeichel] players. We cannot lose players just a few days before the beginning of the season.
“We would not be able to find a solution and we cannot be behind. Kasper and Maguire are so valuable for us. It is important to maintain our structure, our squad and all our valuable players for the team.
“We know all the difficulties after the World Cup, to work in this condition to prepare all of the squad, to keep good mentality and spirit and to find a good level for every player.
“If we have another surprise before the end of the pre-season, it will be tough.”
But every player has a valuation and if United want Maguire enough, we’ll just have to meet Leicester’s demands.
There are less than two weeks to get this deal over the line or to look elsewhere for a centre-back, so Mourinho’s frustration with the United hierarchy is completely justified.
Woodward needs to get to work.
