Manchester United have been told that they will have to pay £90million to sign Harry Maguire, according to the Daily Star.
The report adds that Man United placed a bid of £75million for the Leicester centre-back last summer after he impressed at the World Cup.
That was reportedly rejected by Leicester who wanted £80million, and now it looks like Maguire’s fee has gone up again.
The towering 6ft 4in defender is under contract with the midlands club until 2023.
OPINION
Gone are the days of getting world-class centre-backs on the cheap. Virgil van Dijk has proved the impact that a genuinely top-class defender can make to a side, with him and Alisson widely credited for Liverpool’s serious tilt at the title this season. Maguire isn’t at van Dijk’s level but he’s one of the best in the country, and he’s firmly established himself as a key part of the England team. If Man United did bid £75million for him in the summer and were only out by £5million, it seems odd that they wouldn’t just have paid the extra money. £5million isn’t an insubstantial sum but in the scheme of things it surely makes little difference? That reticence could come back to cost them even more, with Leicester now apparently playing hardball and looking for even more money. Van Dijk cost Liverpool just over £70million – is Maguire really worth an extra £20million? The real question is, can United find anyone as good or better for less money? Maguire is tried and tested in the Premier League and that has to count for a lot.