Manchester United and England centre-back Harry Maguire has been under the microscope this term, but there’s one area where he’s excelling.
Maguire, signed by Man United for a world-record £80M according to the BBC, has done little to justify that fee since moving to the Red Devils.
Add into the mix his shaky performances for the England National Team and it’s easy to see why the defender has faced such a degree of criticism of late.
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However, as shown in data shared by the CIES Football Observatory, Maguire has been the third top performer in Europe’s top ten leagues in one specific area.
The report shows that just two players have had more success in completing defensive aerial duels than Maguire, who has won 27 out of 30.
That’s a superb record for a centre-back playing in one of the most combative divisions in the world.
Of course, Maguire is not the perfect defender and United have had far superior centre-backs over the years, but it’s not his fault that he cost £80M (per the BBC).
It was his commanding presence in the air that earned him plaudits at Hull City and Leicester City, but they appear to have been selectively overlooked at Man United.