Manchester United have agreed an £80m deal to sign Leicester defender Harry Maguire, according to Sky sources.
The deal is subject to a medical and would eclipse the current world-record £75m Liverpool paid for a defender when they bought Virgil van Dijk from Southampton.
Following a 2-1 pre-season win over Atalanta, Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers told Sky Sports News: “I think it’s an incredible piece of business.
“This is a guy that knows there has been interest all through the summer and he’s been super professional. He’s been with his team-mates right the way through and been a really, really good guy.
“Football now, that’s how it works, individuals will have their own goals and targets and whatever it is they want to achieve and that’s something that they will always have.
“He’s a special player, he’s not a player that we would want to lose. But obviously any player will have a valuation and if ever that is met then of course there’s a discussion between clubs and whether the player wants to stay or go.
“We will see how it develops over the weekend and if Harry ends up going then we will have to look at our options.”
England international Maguire, who phoned in sick for training on Monday, has four years left on his contract and Leicester’s position all summer had been that he was not for sale.
The 26-year-old had been Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s No 1 targetat Old Trafford and told Leicester he wanted to leave before the transfer window shuts on August 8, so he could follow in the footsteps of his heroes Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand.
United have signed just two players so far this summer – Aaron Wan-Bissaka who joined from Crystal Palace, and Daniel James who moved from Swansea.
They are also trying to sign forward Paulo Dybala from Juventus in a swap move with striker Romelu Lukaku going the other way. The deal between the two clubs “is as good as done”, once source has told Sky Sports News, and the transfer now hinges on whether Dybala is convinced on a move to Old Trafford.
Maguire has featured in Leicester’s pre-season and is primed and ready for Premier League action next weekend. And Sky Sports News reporter James Cooper believes he could slot in beside Victor Lindelof at the heart of United’s defence.
“Alongside someone like Lindelof, there are the seeds of a potential partnership,” said Cooper. “Jones and Smalling have recently signed new deals so there are plenty of options. – Sky Sports.
