Maguire gone (official).

[urban.spaceman]

 

[Blue ROI]

Never nice to lose a player to a perceived bigger club but its the least worst of the last 4 departures.

 

Harry was decent for us and had a good attitude but we've got a great deal from this. The last 3 departures put the starting 11 out of whack a bit but we have potenitally good backup options around.

[Guest Mickyblueeyes]

Always sad to see a first teamer go. All the best. 

 

I do not think this will have as adverse an effect on the clubs progress as Kante and Mahrez leaving had. Those were massive losses.

 

Good player who we helped a lot. He must use that now. 

[Collymore]

Great business. Good luck Harry and thanks for the memories. 

[urban.spaceman]

3 minutes ago, brucey said:

Can someone paste the article here 

 

 

 

Woodward was quoted £80m for Maguire in May and paid it in August: here’s what really happened in between

By Laurie Whitwell, Rob Tanner and Sam Lee  24m ago 2

Almost as soon as last season finished the whispers around how much it would cost to sign Harry Maguire from Leicester City began. Word came from the very top at the King Power Stadium that respected agents’ valuations of £65 million were misguided.

Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, known as Top, saw Maguire as a statement transfer and let it be known that only a world-record fee for a defender would be palatable. Sources have told The Athletic that Leicester’s owner initially wanted £100 million for Maguire. The message was clear to interested parties, including Manchester United and Manchester City: Leicester had a strong hand and would not fold.

This left United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward with a dilemma. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had made it abundantly clear Maguire was his top target to elevate a mediocre defence, not only for his capabilities on the pitch but his presence off it. England and Leicester staff reported a grounded figure who 

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[foxy boxing]

Sad he's gone but not bothered if he succeeds at Manure or not, once he's left the family that is Leicester City. the club is always bigger than any player we've had great players before him and we'll have great players after him.

[Golden Fox]

17 minutes ago, RowlattsFox said:

Yes he's not worth the money but he is still a very good player and we certainly worse off without him, for now at least. He's a modern defender so will make the odd mistake and I think you need to be clever with the players you have around him. In a team that might dominate possession a lot he will be good.

 

Used us for career development, but that's fine, that's the way it is. We are kidding ourselves if we think players won't leave to join the likes of United. Don't have any anger towards him and hope we don't abuse him when he returns but he's just another player now.

Fully agree with this, but 3 or 4 years ago we wouldn't have remotely been thinking the grass was greener at Leicester rather than one of the biggest clubs in the World.

 

Where we are at the moment: we are signing World Class players ourselves, developing a World Class training facility, hopefully expanding the stadium and hopefully pushing for top 6 and finishing above Man U - if we can do all that and keep going and start competing in Europe year after year, we may reach a point where we are not seen as career development on the way to others. It may be in another 3 or 4 years, but at this point in time, yes, we are a stepping stone. 

 

It feels like a real kick in the stomach seeing him in a Man U shirt and does bring us back to earth a little - but agree with the post: disappointing as it is, that it is the way it is at the moment. It will be interesting to see where we are when Maguire's 6 year' are up...

[CollinsLCFC]

I wonder how much his secondary agents, Sky Sports, will receive.

[LC/FC]

3 minutes ago, brucey said:

Can someone paste the article here 

 

 

Got your back! 

 

Almost as soon as last season finished the whispers around how much it would cost to sign Harry Maguire from Leicester City began. Word came from the very top at the King Power Stadium that respected agents’ valuations of £65 million were misguided.

Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, known as Top, saw Maguire as a statement transfer and let it be known that only a world-record fee for a defender would be palatable. Sources have told The Athletic that Leicester’s owner initially wanted £100 million for Maguire. The message was clear to interested parties, including Manchester United and Manchester City: Leicester had a strong hand and would not fold.

This left United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward with a dilemma. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had made it abundantly clear Maguire was his top target to elevate a mediocre defence, not only for his capabilities on the pitch but his presence off it. England and Leicester staff reported a grounded figure who possessed leadership qualities, the type of character United needed. Solskjaer also wanted business done early, so new signings could acclimatise to the club and his style of play during pre-season.

But Woodward felt he could not afford to simply pay up. It is understood he was conscious of the precedent that might set for negotiations on other recruits. He knew, however, that given City’s interest he had to make the first move early. So in late May he called the Leicester chief executive Susan Whelan.

Usually, Jon Rudkin, Leicester’s sporting director, would handle the negotiations but Woodward has developed an excellent professional relationship with Whelan through the Premier League summits that all club powerbrokers attend. Whelan would also be the one to host visiting directors in the Leicester boardroom, with Top’s father Vichai preferring to stay out of the way in his personal room adjacent. She struck up good rapports. A source says: “She is very welcoming, but also shrewd, organised, quick and intelligent.”

It is said that following Vichai’s death last October, Whelan, who is also on the board at King Power and frequently flies to Thailand, has increased her input on football matters, as a trusted aid for Top following a 20-year working relationship.

So Woodward picked up the phone, knowing Whelan’s influence.

That initial conversation gave United a clear picture of the actual figure required to get Maguire: £80 million to edge the £75 million that Liverpool paid Southampton for Virgil van Dijk in January 2018. Sources say the tone of that first talk also left Leicester with the distinct impression a deal would be done.

City, meanwhile, took a softer approach. Pep Guardiola wanted Maguire to replace Vincent Kompany and even approached the England defender on the pitch after City’s 1-0 win in the penultimate game of the campaign, expressing his admiration for his performance. Maguire was said to favour moving to the Etihad at this stage.

But City were aware of Leicester’s demands and kept their counsel. By the middle of June the word in agent circles was that Leicester had proposed a fee of £90 million, a figure City sources stressed they would never get near. City board members also had recent experience of Leicester’s approach to selling players, having needed two windows to sign Riyad Mahrez for a club-record £60 million the year before, even if City were ultimately happy with the deal.

City offered Nicolas Otamendi, whose wages were prohibitive, and Eliaquim Mangala, who Leicester had no interest in. Their indecision was such that at one stage they asked agents of other centre halves for their opinion of Maguire’s abilities. In the end they made a bid worth up to £70 million for the 26-year-old, but by July their pursuit had in effect been called off. United’s strong interest meant Leicester had absolutely no reason to lower their expectations on price.

Guardiola said of Maguire on Sunday: “(A) top-class player. We were interested but we could not afford it. United could afford it. Congratulations to United on this signing.”

The reason for United’s myopia was multi-faceted. Firstly, there was Sir Alex Ferguson. He had spotted Maguire’s potential at 17 after the 2011 FA Youth Cup final. Maguire played for Sheffield United against a side including Paul Pogba at Old Trafford but suffered a concussion that kept him in a Manchester hospital overnight. A few days later, Maguire received a call from a withheld number. It was Ferguson, who inquired about his health and told him that through hard work he could play at the top level.

Fast forward to the summer of 2018 and United were trying to take Maguire to that level after his displays for England at the World Cup in Russia. Former manager Jose Mourinho made his feelings clear, but his interest came too late for the club to make a proper bid.

This year, however, Maguire had a ringing endorsement from a member of United’s new management team. As Hull manager Mike Phelan gave Maguire his first Premier League start in October 2016, and found a player with an appetite to learn.

Maguire would often take residence in video suites studying clips of his performances and also asked about the defenders such as Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, with whom Phelan had worked during his first spell at United. He took a particular interest in data from the GPS system, which tracks the distance a player covers.

Speaking last summer, Phelan said: “Harry was one who now and again wanted to know: ‘How did so-and-so deal with that? Why would I need to be in this type of position at this moment?’ It’s an education when making that jump. It was learning skills which weren’t his strength. When to stand still, when not to dribble out. He understood that.”

When Phelan left Old Trafford and was asked by senior figures at the club if any players were worthy of joining United, he said Maguire. Andy Robertson, now at Liverpool, was another name mentioned.

Solskjaer was a firm advocate too, viewing Maguire as a leader for his team, and repeatedly pressed Woodward to complete the signing. While maintaining public diplomacy, sources say that behind the scenes, as the days turned into weeks, Solskjaer became increasingly persistent.

United made an initial bid of £70 million once the players reported back for pre-season on July 1, but Leicester rejected it. Woodward then waited.

A fortnight later in a meeting with the Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers, Maguire expressed his wish to leave should the club’s valuation be met. The Leicester manager gave in. Maguire would continue to maintain professionalism, refusing to resort to going AWOL as Mahrez had when trying to force his move to City. That respect ensured that strong relations with everyone at Leicester were upheld. He made a point of playing in the first pre-season friendly at Scunthorpe on July 16, despite feeling unwell the day before, and would go on to feature in four warm-up games for Leicester.

Top flew from Thailand to attend the match at Cambridge United on July 23 and reiterated his stance. There is a sense that after his father Vichai’s death last October he viewed this as a crucial, legacy-defining episode that would illustrate that the club’s ambition remains undimmed.

During that time Maguire’s agent Kenny Shepherd, son of former Newcastle owner Freddy, and his business partner Paul Stretford, who counts Wayne Rooney as his most famous client, worked hard to mediate an agreement between the clubs. United’s chief negotiator Matt Judge was also involved.

Still Woodward resisted, determined to lower the price. Leicester could now, though, point to the £50 million fee that United paid Crystal Palace for Aaron Wan-Bissaka as testimony for their own valuation of a player of far greater experience. Maguire had played more than 300 career games (98 in the Premier League), won 20 England caps, and starred at a World Cup. Wan-Bissaka, while prodigiously talented, had only really had one full season of first-team football under his belt.

United did look at Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld, Kalidou Koulibaly, of Napoli, and Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake, but these players have been described as “flirtations”. Solskjaer was committed to Maguire.

Towards the end of July, as the impasse continued, Maguire was said to let his frustrations show. United were verbally approaching Leicester’s valuation but a compromise was not forthcoming. Sources say Maguire felt his dignified approach, plus a gentleman’s agreement when he signed his improved contract last summer that he could go for a reasonable price, warranted Leicester conceding some ground. The player was geared up for a move to Old Trafford by this point and it was clear how much United wanted him.

This “minor sulkiness” is said to have manifested in one or two leisurely sessions on the bike at Leicester’s Belvoir Drive training ground, The Athletic has been told. But nothing more. In Maguire’s final Leicester game at Stoke City on July 27, informed observers reported an off-key performance.

When Maguire called in sick on Monday July 29, suspicions were raised. While Rodgers did speak of an illness after the Stoke game it suited the 26-year-old, United and Leicester for him to miss that day’s broadcast media session and pre-season walkthroughs with Sky Sports. Awkward questions or out-of-sync video footage when Maguire was clearly on the move would not have helped anyone.

Last Thursday Maguire held talks with Rodgers and both agreed he would miss the following night’s friendly against Atalanta. The mood music was very much that Woodward was finally prepared to push the button.

The next morning came the decisive word: an £80 million fee up front. By Friday afternoon Rudkin was finalising the exact terms, taking into account the 15 per cent sell-on fee owed to Hull on the profit Leicester would make on their £15 million purchase in 2016. Personal terms on a five-year deal worth around £190,000 a week, more than double Maguire’s Leicester salary, were swiftly completed.

The contract is a huge sum and prompts a trickle-down effect. Burnley might now demand £50 million for James Tarkowski, a Leicester target, for instance.

But in terms of what United need, the money for Maguire could become irrelevant. He is a defender able to play the passing style that Solskjaer wants and brings a mentality for self-improvement, which should rub off on the younger players in the squad. A comparison can be made with Ferdinand, who cost £30 million from Leeds in 2002 and proved transformative for Ferguson.

Maguire certainly bore the look of a man content while driving out of Carrington after his medical on Sunday. He can ask former Leicester team-mates Danny Simpson and Kasper Schmeichel for advice on a place to live, with both former team-mates residents of Cheshire’s Golden Triangle, the affluent villages favoured by Manchester’s footballers.

There are those within the game, though, who feel the saga could have been wrapped up much sooner. United were aware of the trigger point and Rodgers was relaxed about Maguire’s departure from early on. But Woodward might well argue that United need to push back in such negotiations to limit the inflation that strikes whenever their name is part of the equation. After all, at least £80 million is not £100 million.

(Photo: Manchester United via Getty Images)

[z-layrex]

Seeya Harry! 

[STUHILL]

So Sky announce that it is £80m fee in their live feed and then 20minutes later announce that at £85m he is the most expensive defender ever... 

 

Good luck to Harry though. Absolutely loved having him here. He didn't have the best season last year and really should have been more of a goal threat for us but you can't fault his professionalism and general attitude around the place. Would have preferred he went to a different club as can't see him winning trophies with Man U anytime soon, but overall what an achievement to be the most expensive defender ever and sign for such a huge club. He goes with nothing but my blessings!

 

Let's finish above Man U this year though ey! 

 

[urban.spaceman]

 

[jayfox26]

Oh how exciting, another Harry Maguire thread. 

[Babylon]

Rather have kept you if we end up pumping £50m on a centre back, but honestly I think the money can be put to better use elsewhere, strengthening us as a whole. 

[OntarioFox]

slab

[AyewJoking]

35 minutes ago, RowlattsFox said:

Be interesting to see how he handles the pressure because it will  be immense and people are going to want perfection for £80m. Any slight mistake and he will hear "and he's supposed to be a £80m player"

I doubt he cares about the price tag, its just the going rate.

I'm sure he knows he'll be heavily scrutinised but he wants to be there.

 

Thanks for everything Harry and good luck

[LC/FC]

Just now, OntarioFox said:

Behind a paywall mate 

But I've already posted it though 

[moseeds]

He'll be their captain soon and cult hero. Top player and a leader. Good luck Harry!

[Foxin_Mad]

15 minutes ago, foxy boxing said:

Sad he's gone but not bothered if he succeeds at Manure or not, once he's left the family that is Leicester City. the club is always bigger than any player we've had great players before him and we'll have great players after him.

Exactly. Not really one for best wishes, don't really get it. He was only here for 2 years and doesn't deserve the legendary status of the 2016 league winners, who deserve special mentions. 

 

He has gone to a competitor in our league, I hope we beat United and get 6 points, I hope we finish above them. I hope United continue to be rubbish for the whole of his 6 year contract and longer.

 

Wishing them and him well is reducing the number of available slots for us. 

 

He is not a Leicester player anymore I could not care less what happens to him, but thanks for the money and efforts whilst here. 

[Charl91]

Good player for us. No hard feelings - maintained his professionalism, which helped us to get a record fee.

 

Not gutted like I was with Kante or Mahrez, but would have preferred to keep him. 

[Guest the fox]

I'm possibly in the minority here but I don't feel sad or disappointed (edit: seeing the two posts above, I don't think I'm in the minority lol). Even the fringe players of that title winning season got more emotions out of me than a player as good as Harry. Seeing the tweet about Shinji leaving upset me a bit even though I knew he had no place in the team anymore.

 

The title-winning team has a special place in my heart and I don't think a player not from that team leaving will get half as much emotion out of me.

 

 

[Guest the fox]

 

[Guest Mickyblueeyes]

8 minutes ago, the fox said:

I'm possibly in the minority here but I don't feel sad or disappointed (edit: seeing the two posts above, I don't think I'm in the minority lol). Even the fringe players of that title winning season got more emotions out of me than a player as good as Harry. Seeing the tweet about Shinji leaving upset me a bit even though I knew he had no place in the team anymore.

 

The title-winning team has a special place in my heart and I don't think a player not from that team leaving will get half as much emotion out of me.

 

 

He has played less than a hundred games for the club in a period that we have not done anything of note. In addition, we have signed Tielemans this summer. 

 

Good player, who we would’ve enjoyed having part of the “revolution”. However, no way does this sale effect us as much as losing Kante and Mahrez did. 

 

Its just a case of being patient while Caglar or Benkovic finds their feet. 

 

 

[Bats8711]

So Percy / telegraph is really the only place I’ve seen fee be listed as 85+5 when it broke couple days ago. Are they still saying that or have they changed to 80 that everybody else is saying?

[Ric Flair]

22 minutes ago, Babylon said:

Rather have kept you if we end up pumping £50m on a centre back, but honestly I think the money can be put to better use elsewhere, strengthening us as a whole. 

I keep reading this and it's true but there's only one position in the starting XI that we can realistically improve by selling Maguire and that's on the wing.