Harry Maguire Reportedly Hopeful of Manchester United Deadline-Day Transfer

Leicester City defender Harry Maguire reportedly remains hopeful he will get a move to Manchester United on the final day of the transfer window. 

According to Sky Sports News, the England international is keen on a switch to Old Trafford, and the Red Devils have already had two bids rejected for the centre-back, the second of which was worth £60 million. However, Leicester aren't said to be considering a sale before Thursday's deadline.

"Leicester are expected to offer him a new deal after his impressive performances for England in the World Cup this summer," Sky Sports News said. "Jerome Boateng had reportedly turned down a move to Manchester United for football reasons, but sources have told Sky Sports News he still wants to move to United and Jose Mourinho wants to sign him."

Leicester are said to be in advanced talks over the arrival of two central defenders in Filip Benkovic and Caglar Soyuncu, with the duo likely to arrive for a combined £35 million. It's unlikely to change their stance on Maguire, though.

According to Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol, while United are big fans of the 25-year-old, they are wary of paying too much to sign him:

Maguire only arrived at Leicester a year ago and has enjoyed a remarkable rise. He's developed from a promising defender into one of the best in the Premier League and a star on the international stage. He shone for Gareth Southgate's England side as they made their way to the semi-finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

While Maguire is not one to shirk physical battles, he has many other attributes in his game. He's quick across the ground and excellent in possession too.

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

The centre-back's charges from defence became a trademark for Leicester last term, and Maguire showed no shortage of confidence when he represented the Three Lions at the World Cup either. WhoScored.com highlighted that he was like a magnet to the ball last season:

For United, signing a centre-back appears to be a priority before the transfer window closes, with Boateng also said to be on the club's radar. As Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News noted, while Maguire's stock is sky-high, the Germany star's reputation is diminishing:

With that in mind, it's not a shock Maguire wants the move to Old Trafford, where he would be tasked with becoming the leader of United's defence. However, hesitancy about paying a lot of money to secure him is sensible because there are still flaws in his game that need to be addressed.

Still, Leicester's stance makes sense. And given they play United in the Premier League curtain-raiser on Friday, losing Maguire to the Red Devils at the eleventh hour would be galling.