Manchester United would be willing to apply a slight "discount" on the asking price of Harry Maguire should a club that he wants to join come in for him this summer, claims Sky Sports reporter Mark McAdam.
Is Harry Maguire leaving Manchester United this summer?
After a slow start – one dominated by takeover talk – the transfer window has been a relatively straightforward success for United this summer.
The deal to sign Mason Mount from Premier League rivals Chelsea might've dragged on longer than fans would've liked, but with the fee rising to just £55m, it could yet ultimately work out in their favour.
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Following Mount's arrival, the club turned their attention towards Inter's highly rated No 1, Andre Onana, signing the Cameroon international for £47m.
With two new first-teamers already sorted before August and the potential of a deal for Atalanta star Rasmus Hojlund, the club now have the luxury to focus on selling a few players – one of whom could be former captain Maguire.
The 30-year-old has had a rough couple of years at Old Trafford, practically becoming the poster boy – fairly or unfairly – of United's defensive frailties in that time.
This period of misfortune was compounded by the removal of the club's captaincy earlier this month, a move that – whilst feeling inevitable – signalled what may be considered as the end of the former Leicester City star's time with the Red Devils.
According to BBC Sport, the three-time European champions are willing to let the Sheffield-born star leave this summer if he so wishes, but they have also rejected a £20m offer from West Ham United as they value him at £40m – half of what they paid for him four years ago.
However, there is reportedly some flexibility on his valuation should a club that the player wants to move to come in for him this summer, per Sky Sports' McAdam.
He explained the situation on Sky Sports News, saying:
"Manchester United are looking for around £40m, but they would be prepared to compromise slightly if there was a club that came to the table and Harry Maguire was keen to join them – so there could be a little bit of a discount, shall we say.
"But it's still going to be in and around £40m."
How good is Harry Maguire?
It can be rather easy for footballers to quickly pick up reputations for being a liability or the weak link; someone the fans blame for every little mistake.
Think Shkodran Mustafi at Arsenal, Timo Werner at Chelsea and certainly Maguire at United.
That said, these players weren't really good enough for their teams, but they also weren't quite as disastrous as fans of that team would have you believe.
In Maguire's case, it's hard to argue that his last two seasons have been anything but a massive disappointment, and yet when you look at his numbers, things don't look anywhere near as bad as you might have initially thought they would.
According to WhoScored, the England international averaged a match rating of 6.59 across his 16 league appearances last season and a solid, if unspectacular, 6.65 across his 30 appearances the season before that.
While nothing amazing, his underlying numbers are also what you would expect and want from a Premier League centre-back.
According to FBref, which compares players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the 6 foot 4 titan sits in the top 11% for blocks, the top 12% for aerial duels won, the top 13% for touches in the opposition's penalty area, the top 17% for attempted passes, the top 19% for progressive carries and the top 16% for progressive passes received per 90.
His national team performances have also been brilliant over the last few years, making it into Sky Sports' Team of the Tournament for the previous World Cup and the official Euro 2020 XI.
These consistent performances for the Three Lions led to manager Gareth Southgate saying: "What are his strengths? Well, he's technically a fantastic footballer with the ball.
"He's a very strong leader in the team. His physical stature, the aerial challenge is one – we haven't got anybody else with that physical presence.
Ultimately, while he hasn't lived up to the expectations that came with his record-breaking transfer four years ago, he hasn't been quite as bad as some have made out, and leaving United might just be what's best for all involved.
