The long-awaited saga is over. Manchester United finally landed Harry Maguire at Old Trafford. In order to do such a thing, the Red Devils paid more than £80 million, making this the biggest transfer for one defender.
“I am delighted to have signed for this great club,”
Maguire said after he inked the agreement. England’s defender signed a six-year deal, with an option for one more season after that expires.
The previous record was held by Liverpool’s Virgil Van Dijk whose move to Anfield Road from Southampton cost £75 million.
This is a great day for the Red Devils who were chasing Maguire for a long time. At one moment it seemed that the deal is not going to go through. But all the sides eventually reached an agreement, after United added more cash to their initial offer.
Maguire established himself as one of the best defenders in England over the recent few years. He was a solid prospect while playing at Hull city between 2014 and 2017, but after he landed at Kings Power Stadium and became the Fox, the strong center-back’s meteoric rise started.
He quickly became an irreplaceable part of the national team, and was one of the key figures for England’s deep run at the last World Cup held in Russia. Eventually, he got chosen to the World Cup best lineup.
Leicester paid £12 million for his signature, and after just two years the former champs earned almost seven times that sum. But they fully deserved such a profit as they profiled Maguire into a ruthless defender, one of the best in the world. The player didn’t forget the importance of his former club in his development, and the thanked all the people who helped him to be where he is now.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Leicester and would like to thank everyone at the club, and the fans, for their fantastic support over the past two seasons.”
United wanted this defender for a long time. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the rest of the management believe that Maguire’s presence in the back line of this team would make them much better. It is why the club from the Old Trafford decided to raise the stakes and pay such a massive fee for his services.
After seeing Liverpool’s experience with Van Dijk, the Red Devils had to react.
“Harry is one of the best centre-backs in the game today, and I am delighted we have secured his signature,”
Solskjaer said after the deal was done.
The Norwegian knew what was wrong in his game, which is why he wanted to erase those issues. With 54 goals conceded last year, United’s defense was far below the needed level. It is why they eventually finished outside top 4 and missed the Champions League spot.
Solskjaer’s team already has a huge challenge coming up in the first round, as they face Chelsea at home. It is quite possible to see Maguire in the starting lineup, even though he didn’t have too much time to adapt to the new environment.
