---
title: "Manchester City: Harry Maguire would be far from just a back-up"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/manchester-city-harry-maguire-would-be-far-from-just-a-back-up/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Luke Randall"
section: "Manchester City Football Club"
published: "2019-06-07T19:25:46Z"
modified: "2019-06-20T16:28:08Z"
---

# Manchester City: Harry Maguire would be far from just a back-up

**Great news: the [Daily Mai](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7111511/Man-United-want-England-star-Harry-Maguire-Leicester-man-wants-Man-City.html)l have reported that England defender Harry Maguire would snub Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United for a move to rivals, City.**

It’s surely unsurprising that the man affectionately known as *Slab Head* apparently prefers a move to Premier League champions Manchester City, who secured an impressive domestic treble last month with a 6-0 victory over Watford in the FA Cup final, while United slumped into sixth place following another disastrous post-Ferguson year, which has left them without a Premier League title since 2013 – [their longest drought since the 26 year stretch between 1967 and 1993](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/manchester-united/erfolge/verein/985).

![](https://cdn.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/THE-BREAKDOWN.png)

City are reportedly chasing two new centre-backs this summer with Atletico Madrid [apparently](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7111511/Man-United-want-England-star-Harry-Maguire-Leicester-man-wants-Man-City.html) keen on taking Nicolas Otamendi off their hands and Vincent Kompany recently departing after 11 years with the club to take over as Anderlecht’s player-manager.

And while the Sky Blues have two very capable players in John Stones and Aymeric Laporte, we’re absolutely sure that the quality of Maguire wouldn’t simply be used as a backup – especially as *WhoScored* ranks the [Leicester](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/99487/Show/Harry-Maguire) higher than [Stones](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/101374/Show/John-Stones) in tackles, interceptions and clearances made on average per game. Strength in depth and all that, right?

In fact, it’s probably fair to say that no one at City has a place guaranteed in the starting line up. Laporte might widely be considered the first choice – making 15 more appearances than Stones – but even the likes of Sergio Aguero, Riyad Mahrez and Leroy Sane have been rotated by Guardiola, so the idea that Maguire would be coming solely as a back-up could be wide of the mark.

Alongside Stones (as well as Kyle Walker), the former Sheffield United man has proven effective when playing either in a back three or a more conventional two-man central unit for England, so there’s little doubt he’d afford the Spaniard a decent amount of tactical versatility. Yes, the apparent world-record fee the Foxes are [thought](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7111511/Man-United-want-England-star-Harry-Maguire-Leicester-man-wants-Man-City.html) to want might be off-putting, but there are obviously pros in this potential deal.

***Manchester City fans, would you be happy to see Maguire join? Who would you play him alongside? Let us know in the comments below…***