Manchester United are reportedly leading the race to sign Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount, and the Red Devils could include Harry Maguire in a player-plus-cash deal to sign the England international, as per The Sun.
The 24-year-old is about the enter the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge and he is yet to sign a new deal. The Blues are ready to offload him now than lose him for free next summer after Mount has reportedly agreed personal terms with United.
The Red Devils must now agree a fee with Chelsea for Mount who would cost in the region of £70 million. However, United are looking to find a way to pay less and they have come up with a plan to include Maguire as part of the deal.
Maguire, the United skipper, has become a fringe player under Erik ten Hag. He managed only eight starts in the Premier League in 2022-23, and the club are looking to offload him. The Sun claims United have set an asking price of £30m for their captain.
No way
Maguire became the world’s most expensive defender when he joined United from Leicester City for a fee of £80m back in 2019.
He has made 175 appearances for the Red Devils in all competitions, but he has dropped down the pecking order at Old Trafford. He has a contract at Old Trafford until 2025, and United probably feel that the time is right to sell him.
It’s a fantastic offer from United’s perspective, but Chelsea probably won’t accept that. Mauricio Pochettino loves playing high defensive back-line and Maguire would struggle to fit in his system. Moreover, it’s unclear whether the Argentine boss at all fancy Maguire, and therefore the part-exchange offer probably won’t appeal to him.
If Mount leaves the club, Chelsea will make sure they get the best deal out of their star midfielder. They need money to not only balance the books but to reinvest in the squad as well. They could look to lower the asking price a bit, but it’s unlikely they would accept any part-exchange deal for Mount.
