Graham Potter has been encouraged to bring Harry Maguire to Chelsea as the Manchester United defender's asking price is revealed. The 29-year-old has faced an increasingly uncertain future at Old Trafford lately after a handful of poor performances saw him fall out of favour under Erik ten Hag.
Maguire, who sees his contract with the Red Devils expire in 2025, has featured just four times for United in the Premier League this season. Had Raphael Varane not picked up a knock against the Blues last month then the England international may not have been handed a second chance to impress.
The United skipper's performances have remained somewhat uninspiring and his time under Ten Hag looks to have run out. According to reports, the Dutchman is looking to offload Maguire in the summer transfer window as part of a clear-out at Carrington.
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The Guardian state that United are ready to accept offers for the centre-half at the end of the season. The report states that the Red Devils are willing to accept a considerable loss on the initial eye-watering £80million fee paid to Leicester City in 2019.
It's said that Maguire's 'sluggish pace' is seen as a 'problem' by Ten Hag, who looks to add 'true competition' to Varane and Lisandro Martinez. With the Englishman on the market, Chelsea have been urged to table a bid and bring him to Stamford Bridge.
"If I was Chelsea I would have gone for Harry Maguire, I would!" Paul Merson told Sky Sports, as quoted by the Express. "Harry Maguire in a three is very good, believe me.
"He’s played for England and never gets ripped, he’s a good defender in a three. Chelsea have to play a three, he would have suited that. He’s an English player as well, sometimes they like English players.
"He plays on the left for England and you’ve got to remember, Chelsea dominate football matches as well. Plus you’ve got Thiago Silva who talks to players. Manchester United don’t look after themselves at the moment and that’s why he’s been out of the team."
It's believed that United have the option to extend Maguire's deal by a further 12 months but they are not expected to activate it. With two and a half years remaining on his bumper £190,000-per-week contract, the Red Devils could demand a fee in the region of £25million to just cover the remainder of his agreement. And, CIES Football Observatory claim that Maguire is currently valued at £43million despite his shaky displays.
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