Everton have entered the race to sign Manchester United defender Harry Maguire.
The Toffees, along with West Ham United and Chelsea, are interested in offering the English centre-back an escape from his Old Trafford nightmare.
Despite making Maguire, 30, the sport’s most expensive-ever defender after paying Leicester City £78.3 million for him in 2019 (Sporting News), Manchester United appear determined to move on from the 30-year-old.
Although United’s number five played a key role under former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and was even made the side’s captain, Erik Ten Hag has not been such a big admirer.
The Dutchman wasted very little time in dropping Maguire to his substitute’s bench in favour of a defensive partnership featuring Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez. The former Ajax boss has also stripped Maguire of the team’s captaincy and handed the armband to Bruno Fernandes.
Harry Maguire to Everton?
Consequently, even though he still has at least two years left on his deal, Maguire is facing an uncertain future, and unlikely to play much regular first-team football next season, this summer could be the time the former Foxes defender moves on.
And according to a recent report from Football Insider, after ‘registering their interest’ in Maguire, Sean Dyche’s Everton are seen as a ‘strong option for the player’.
However, earning £200,000-per week and understandably reluctant to take a pay cut, finding a financial solution in order to seal a deal for Maguire may prove tricky. Expect this one to rumble on until the summer transfer window closes on 1 September though.