Jose Mourinho has been a master of signing unknown players in the past, but this time, he appears to be looking at one of the most talked about players in English football at the moment. Harry Maguire is the talk of the country at the moment, owing to his form at the World Cup, and now it appears as though Mourinho wants a piece of the action.
A central defender by trade, Maguire is exactly the sort of player that Man Utd are lacking at present, given their defensive struggles. However, that doesn’t mean the move is without issues.
Indeed, as with any transfer, it’s important for the respective buyer to consider the pros and cons of any potential deal, and that certainly is important for a player like Maguire.
With that said, here are TWO pros and TWO cons to Man Utd signing Harry Maguire this summer…
There’s no doubt about it – Maguire was one of the standout players from the World Cup.
He was, simply put, sensational for England, with his impressive aerial dominance of particular importance to the team.
He also picked up a goal, and he proved that he’s not justs a one trick pony. His quality with the ball at his feet is second-to-none, and that’s something that Jose Mourinho will like.
Of all of England’s players, he was arguably the most impressive.
However, the World Cup was just seven games for Maguire. That isn’t enough to warrant such a major transfer.
Sure, he was decent for Leicester City last season, but decent doesn’t quite cut it at the highest level.
He’s clearly a very talented player, but the Red Devils can’t be risking signing someone without being able to guarantee that they will do the business. They did with Victor Lindelof, and that hasn’t gone to plan.
Indeed, the Red Devils need someone with proven quality, and it might be another year before Maguire can deliver that.
That said, his status as a homegrown talent is important.
Man Utd don’t have many homegrown players in the squad, and eventually, that will become a problem.
It’s not often that a young, homegrown player comes with the sort of talent that Maguire will deliver, and that can’t be undervalued by Joes Mourinho.
It also makes this a relative risk free transfer, as most clubs will be willing to pay a premium for a player with that status, provided that they’re decent enough.
Homegrown players are so valuable.
That said, Man Utd are said to be willing to put down a whopping £65 million – and that’s a lot of money.
That sort of fee would be worth it for a player of the highest order, but is Maguire really there yet?
Perhaps the Red Devils would be better suited by finding an alternative that may demand a smaller fee.
Not to mention, Leicester would be well within their rights to demand a larger sum, and that will put the Red Devils in a very difficult position – especially with less than 2 weeks to go until the transfer window closes.
