Harry Maguire is heading to Old Trafford at last, after weeks and months of rumours, for a ridiculously high reported fee of £80-85 million.
At up to £10 million more than the Reds paid for Virgil van Dijk, it seems incredibly steep. Maguire is a decent player but whether the price would even reach half that figure had he not had a good World Cup for England last summer is highly questionable.
BREAKING: Manchester United have agreed an £80m fee to sign Harry Maguire from Leicester City, Sky Sports News understands
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 2, 2019
With the deal seemingly set to be completed imminently, Reds fans have been reacting to the fee, largely incredulously.
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With £2 million to spare, the Reds purchased their entire first-choice defence for the same price – assuming Joel Matip is the man to begin the new campaign alongside Van Dijk, as appears to be the most likely scenario at this moment in time.
Even with Joe Gomez included, it’s broadly the same figure.
https://twitter.com/bubbIxs/status/1157302577500962816
Van Dijk, compared with Maguire, is quite simply a bargain – though few thought that at the time. If the Reds had pulled off a deal in the summer of 2017, rather than messing it up and having to wait six months, he would have cost even less!
Bargain….
pic.twitter.com/itKis0MxRs— Ben Webb (@BenWebbLFC) August 2, 2019
It seems highly unlikely that Maguire will have the same game-changing impact that Van Dijk has had at Liverpool. The Dutchman won’t be bothered, though, as he is the favourite to pick up the Ballon d’Or.