Transfer Centre

Manchester City 'to match £70m Manchester United bid for Harry Maguire'

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 03 July 2019

Manchester City are reportedly willing to match Manchester United's £70m bid for Leicester City defender Harry Maguire this summer.

Manchester City are reportedly ready to match Manchester United's £70m offer for Leicester City defender Harry Maguire.

The local rivals are set to go head to head for the England international this summer as both sides eye defensive reinforcements ahead of the 2019-20 campaign.

United were thought to have overtaken City in the race for his signature by tabling a £70m bid earlier this week, but Sky Sports News claims that the Premier League champions are willing to match that fee.

Leicester are reluctant to sell Maguire, though, and are expected to reject any such approach from City, having also turned down United's £70m offer.

The Foxes are unwilling to consider bids of less than £80m for the 26-year-old, particularly after seeing Aaron Wan-Bissaka join United from Crystal Palace for £50m earlier this month.

Should Maguire leave the King Power Stadium then he is likely to become the world's most expensive defender, surpassing the £75m Liverpool paid to sign Virgil van Dijk in January 2018.

However, Maguire has four years remaining on his contract at Leicester, who have no intention of lowering their demands for the centre-back.