Chelsea to sign Manchester United defender Harry Maguire? (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Former Arsenal and Aston Villa midfielder Paul Merson has urged Chelsea to sign Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire. The Blues have been in the market for a centre-back for some time now.
Maguire joined the Red Devils in 2019 from Leicester City for an eye-watering £80 million fee. But since then, the 29-year-old has come under scrutiny for his performance from both his fans and pundits alike.
Under Erik ten Hag this season, the United captain has found himself a place on the bench. The Dutchman prefers the duo of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez and The Guardian report that the Red Devils will be willing to sell the player at the end of the season.
The England international has struggled for game time this season, with the 29-year-old only playing nine times for the Reds this season in all competitions. It is believed that United could demand a fee in the region of £25 million for the centre-back next summer.
With the defender available in the market, Merson while speaking to Sky Sports as quoted by Express (h/t Football. London) has urged the Blues to make a bid for him.
“If I was Chelsea I would have gone for Harry Maguire, I would! 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 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.”
Chelsea signed two centre-backs in the summer in Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana. While the latter has picked up an injury, the former is yet to live up to the standard expected from him. Other centre-backs in Trevoh Chalobah and Thiago Silva have been exceptional for the team so far.
Signing a 29-year-old centre-back who has not lived up to his price tag so far would not make sense for the Blues. Rather it would be wise for the club to invest money in a young centre-back, who could also be the long-term successor of Silva.
It remains to be seen if the west London club do make any move for Maguire. The 29-year-old will travel to Qatar for the World Cup later this month. A decent performance there could tempt the Blues to make enquires about him, either in January or next summer.
It has been reported that Chelsea have dispatched their scout in pursuit of the German attacker Francis Onyeka.
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