In exchange for Frenkie de Jong, Manchester United rejected Barcelona’s offer to sign their captain Harry Maguire.
United is moving forward in negotiations for a transaction including de Jong. A cost of £55 million has been discussed, with bonuses that might bring it up to about £68 million.
Although new United manager Erik ten Hag wants to keep the center-back, Barcelona tried to recruit Maguire as part of the transaction.
Considering that ten Hag and De Jong previously collaborated at Ajax, De Jong is seen as ten Hag’s top objective in this transfer window.
It is thought that de Jong may have a significant influence on encouraging the squad to function as a more cohesive unit since United’s midfield needs a complete rebuild.
In any event, with the departures of Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, and Jesse Lingard, it is obvious that United needs to bolster its midfield.
Manager Xavi of Barcelona is searching for a new center defender, especially because Gerard Pique is prone to injury and Samuel Umtiti is expected to leave the team. They already had access to people like Clement Lenglet, Eric Garcia, and Ronald Araujo, but they were anxious to add Maguire.
Maguire may have fit Barcelona’s style of play given his sporadic willingness to advance with the ball.
As United experienced a miserable campaign that resulted in them finishing in sixth place in the Premier League, Maguire came in for a lot of flak.
There were several situations where Maguire’s hesitation or poor placement hurt United’s cause.
The 29-year-old, though, wants to remain at United and show ten Hag that he is a capable performer.
Maguire, who has also played for Hull City and Sheffield United, set a record for the most expensive defender in the world in 2019 when he transferred from Leicester to United for £80 million.
He went on to play 144 times for United, although despite his inconsistent play, he hasn’t received any awards.
Maguire continues to be a key player for United and for England despite the regular criticism he receives because he has Gareth Southgate’s support.
Maguire has received 46 caps for the Three Lions and frequently performs at a higher level for his nation. He seemed destined to travel to Qatar for the World Cup with the team later this year.