Maguire Becomes a Red Devil

Harry Maguire finally became a Red Devil. After few weeks of negotiating between Manchester United and Leicester City, the two teams have clinched a deal which made Maguire the most expensive defender in the world. According to several sources, his transfer cost United £80 million.

The player signed a six-year contract with the new team and has an option for an additional year if everything goes well. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was very happy after the completed deal, saying that Maguire was what his team needed.

The Norwegian manager stated that strong centre back knows to read the game well and that his ability to stay calm under heavy pressure will no doubt help the Red Devils. Besides all this, Maguire’s dominance in the air is something which United lacked over the past years.

The player himself is also delighted for becoming a part of Solskjaer’s crew. For him, this is an opportunity to win trophies and to make a step forward in his career. After he signed a deal, Maguire wanted to thank his former club, for helping him develop into one of the best defenders in the world.

The 26-year old came to Leicester from Hull City, and immediately became a vital link in their defence. He would soon receive an invitation to the English national team and earn Gareth Southgate’s trust. Maguire was one of the essential pieces in England’s quest towards the World Cup semi-finals. In the end, he finished in the best line-up of the tournament.

United conceded 54 goals last year, and that definitely affected their overall position in the standings. For a team aiming a Champions League spot, that is just too much, and Solskjaer immediately marked Maguire as his primary target in this transfer window. Leicester declined the first several offers, but when Manchester increased the value of the transfer, the Foxes decided to sell the player. Having in mind that they brought him from Hull for only £12 million, the entire deal with Maguire turned out to be one of their best in history.

The player surpassed Virgil Van Dijk on the list of the most expensive defenders. Liverpool paid Southampton £75 million at the time, and the Red Devils are hoping for Maguire to have a similar impact on the team. After all, he was the second-best player in the league when looking at the percentage of duel success rate. Van Dijk was the first, but with much better teammates surrounding him.

What’s Next for Romelu Lukaku?

No doubt, United has done a great job now, but the transfer window is far from over for the club from the Old Trafford. They have one more situation to solve, and that is Romelu Lukaku’s transfer. The Belgium international is not in Solskjaer’s plans, and he too wants to get out of United. Having in mind that the club spent a huge amount of money on Maguire, it is pretty safe to say that Lukaku’s transfer is almost inevitable.

And it seems that Inter Milan might be the striker’s next destination. The talks with Paulo Dybala are cancelled, meaning that his move to Juventus is not realistic any more. The Old Lady wanted to offer Dybala along with some money in exchange for Lukaku. On the other hand, Inter offered more money, but nothing more than that. United’s board wasn’t pleased with the sum, but it appears now that they might accept that kind of an agreement.

Antonio Conte’s yesterday’s activity in the media is indicating that there is something going on behind the stage. The Italian manager once again stated that he wants Lukaku, and sees him as the vital piece in his new Inter. It could be that the former Chelsea manager is pressuring United and the player to speed up the transfer.

As for Harry Maguire, he will make his first appearance for United this Sunday, against Chelsea, in the ultimate derby of the first round.

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