Maguire’s tipped to earn his huge pay
LEICESTER defender Jonny Evans has backed Harry Maguire to be a Manchester United hit, believing he can have a similar impact to Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool.
England international Maguire joined United from Leicester for $143 million last week, a world record for a defender.
Van Dijk helped Liverpool win the Champions League and finish second in the Premier League last season after his $134 million move from Southampton in January last year.
United kept its first clean sheet since February in Maguire’s debut on Monday — a 4-0 win over Chelsea — and Evans, who won three titles at Old Trafford, tipped him for success.
“You can see comparisons in their games (Maguire and van Dijk), both are great on the ball, and Harry has got explosive pace people don’t see,” said ex-United man Evans.
“He is powerful, good in the air . . . Everyone will compare the transfer fees but it’s so difficult to judge transfer fees nowadays.
“We are all human and it is weird we get traded for money. In the transfer market it’s all supply and demand and things can go up and down at any moment.
“The most important thing is for him to be judged on how he plays. I don’t have any worries about him there.” MEANWHILE, Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker was ruled out for “the next few weeks” by coach Jurgen Klopp after suffering a calf injury in its 4-1 win over Norwich.
Brazil international Alisson limped off in the first half of Liverpool’s Premier League opener at Anfield on Friday.
“Not too cool. It’s a calf injury, which takes him obviously out for a while,” Klopp told Liverpool’s website.
“I don’t want to make now an exact prognosis on when he will be back but it will not be Wednesday for sure, so now then we have to see. It takes a while, it takes a couple weeks for sure, and we have to see.”
Klopp said Alisson had suffered few injuries in his career, which may speed his return.