Chelsea to sign Manchester United defender Harry Maguire? (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Chelsea are interested in making a shock swoop for Manchester United defender Harry Maguire after the centre-back was stripped of the captaincy at his current club.
According to the Sun, (h/t Express), Chelsea are considering joining West Ham United, Newcastle United, and Tottenham Hotspur in a battle to sign the 30-year-old centre-back.
The 30-year-old announced on social media Erik ten Hag’s decision to relieve him from United’s captaincy. United are looking to offload the former Leicester City player, but he is keen to stay and fight for his place at the club.
Chelsea were earlier also linked with a move for the England International and could make a move for him following the departure of Kalidou Koulibaly to Al Hilal. However, the Blues’ interest in signing the Englishman is seemingly not concrete, as they already have enough defenders for next season.
Given that the majority of Chelsea defenders are youngsters, an experienced centre-back could be needed. Brazilian legend Thiago Silva won’t remain at the club forever given he is 38.
Last season, he featured in only 16 Premier League matches under Ten Hag as a backup centre-back to Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez. That tells that he isn’t considered a top-of-the-shelf centre-back by a rival big-six club.
Maguire may be an intriguing addition, but his performances have been questionable over the two years. The 30-year-old has slipped down the pecking order, and as a result of his inconsistent play, United are willing to let him go. At the back, we already have defenders such as Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, and Levi Colwill. Chalobha, though, is currently linked with a transfer abroad.
It’s fair if we don’t pursue him; we have Silva for the upcoming campaign, and if he leaves, we can consider acquiring a centre defender with greater experience down the road. For Maguire, it won’t make a lot of sense either to swap the benches of one top English club for another club, because right now, it seems hard to imagine him as a starter here.
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