Ed Woodward sanctions Harry Maguire record deal at Man Utd

The latest from the London Evening Standard suggests Manchester United’s executive vice-chairman has sanctioned a world-record deal to sign Leicester City defender Harry Maguire.

It was widely reported last summer that Maguire was on José Mourinho radar, as seen in this report by The Guardian. The 26-year-old has a solid World Cup campaign as England, performances for England, which led to crazy figures being mentioned to secure his signature.

Instead of leaving the King Power Stadium last summer after returning from the World Cup, Maguire signed a new deal with the Foxes, tying him down until 2023.

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But the latest news surrounding Maguire would suggest United see a potential deal for the centre-back as unfinished business.

It must be said that failure to qualify for the Champions League might mean Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to target less prominent signings in the transfer market. Is Raphael Varane and Kalidou Koulibaly open to playing Europa League next season? I doubt it.

And this summer, Woodward knows he must sign a centre-back to help Solskjaer build from the back.

United have been abysmal from the back all season and it’s no wonder our GD record is so low.

José Mourinho identified this as a weak area and not enough was done on Woodward’s part to secure the right player to help the Portuguese coach build on his runners-up finish in the Premier League from 2017/18.

It could easily cost £75m – the fee Liverpool paid to sign Vigil van Dijk – to sign Maguire given he signed a new deal at Leicester just over 12 months ago.

Do you want Harry United to sign Harry Maguire this summer?

More Stories Ed Woodward Harry Maguire José Mourinho Leicester City Ole Gunnar Solskjaer