The Harry Maguire to Manchester United transfer narrative is one that has been dragging out for a very long time already. However, if the English tabloids are to be believed, then the resolution is now finally here. The storyline is in several Sunday tabloid publications: this tweet from a Mirror football reporter, an article in the Sunday Daily Star and The Sunday Express.
They’re all telling the same story- an £80m transfer fee agreed upon, with the Man United medical for the 26-year-old coming tomorrow. The deal, which is £60m up front, £20m in add-ons, makes Harry Maguire the owner of the richest contract for a defender in world history.
Harry Maguire: an almighty upgrade in Manchester United's defence. Premier League proven. Expensive, but needed to be done. Exciting times.
— Liam Canning (@LiamPaulCanning) July 14, 2019
That surpasses the £75 million Liverpool paid to Southampton for Virgil van Dijk, the reigning PFA Player of the Year. If the Maguire price tag seems excessive to you, well it is, but
1.) United have been desperate to upgrade central defender for a very long time and unable to do so, and nothing was going to happen unless they really splashed the cash.
2.) Although Harry Maguire is probably only best known for his stellar showing with England, as Three Lions made their surprising run to the World Cup semifinals last summer, he was still a man in high demand.
Manchester City was also after him, and Leicester didn’t really want to sell at first, so £80 million is what it takes.
No matter how you slice it, this is indeed a splash signing for United. It’s the position in most need of an upgrade, and they went out and got the guy they have been coveting for a very long time. And isn’t that exactly what summer transfer window success looks like?
It’s a very high price sure, but that’s life in the 2019 transfer market.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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