According to The Sun, Manchester United are ready to table a £60 million bid for Harry Maguire in the upcoming January transfer window. The Leicester City superstar was pursued by United in the summer but after failing to sign him then, the Red Devils are now keen to acquire his services in January.
Jose Mourinho, in particular, has shown a massive interest in Maguire as he seeks to bolster his defensive department after a series of shaky performances this season. But can Maguire really turn out to be a valuable investment for the Premier League giants?
Harry Maguire: Player attributes and stats
Harry Maguire is an imposing central defender who thrives in aerial duels. Indeed, the 25-year-old played a key role for England in the World Cup this summer, winning five aerial duels per game(most by any English player in the competition) and has continued his performances this season too, winning 37 aerial duels(highest in the team).
However, aside from his aerial prowess, Maguire is also a dogged defender, who excels when it comes to defending in deep blocks. His 194 cm figure coupled with his physical prowess helps him dominate the attackers while he isn’t afraid to get involved in tackles either.
Maguire has already notched up 53 clearances for Leicester City this season and just to put things into perspective, Wilfred Ndidi has managed the second most clearances(22) in the team. Furthermore, Maguire’s impressive ratio of almost 2 interceptions per game is indicative of his tendency to march forward and intercept the flow of the game using his intelligence, making him one of the most complete English defenders in the current generation.
Why do Manchester United need Harry Maguire?
Manchester United are in dire need of a world class defender in order to revitalize their defence and Harry Maguire is the ideal candidate. The Leicester City defender has already shown what he is capable of even at the highest level while his experience of playing in the Premier League will allow him to settle easily at this new club.
Most importantly, however, Maguire is tailor-made to thrive under the defence-oriented tactics of coach Jose Mourinho as he likes to defend in deep blocks. In addition, he is also blessed with decent passing qualities, averaging almost 60 passes per game with an accuracy of 86% – a tally that is sure to increase at a bigger club like Manchester United.
Put simply, Harry Maguire is someone who is fully capable of revitalizing the Manchester United defence and at the age of 25, he will also prove to be a huge asset for the future as well.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
