The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Foxes set to brush off Man United £70m Maguire bid
Premier League: Leicester holding firm as Spurs make club-record signing
Manchester United’s £70million offer for Leicester City defender Harry Maguire is likely to be rejected as it falls short of the Foxes’ valuation.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking to add an elite-level centre back, with the Old Trafford club targeting the England defender just as they did last summer.
However, Leicester do not want to sell Maguire and are under no financial pressure to let the 26-yearold leave.
Manchester City are also reportedly interested in the former Sheffield United and Hull player.
Maguire is currently on holiday having been given an extended break following his part in England’s Nations League campaign in Portugal.
While not the type to agitate for a move, it is understood that the centre back has made Leicester aware he is open to exploring other opportunities.
That is a different stance to last summer, when interest was swatted away by the Foxes before the England international signed a new and improved deal through to 2023.
United have already signed right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace in a deal rising to £50m, while they are keen on Newcastle midfielder Sean Longstaff, having also snapped up Daniel James from Swansea.
Burnley’s James Tarkowski is a potential replacement for Maguire at Leicester but the Foxes have Filip Benkovic returning from a loan spell with Celtic, where he worked with Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers before
“Benkovic worked with Brendan Rodgers at Celtic”
the Northern Irishman moved to the midlands in February.
Maguire joined Leicester from Hull for £17m two years ago and has made 76 appearances for the club, scoring five times.
He also has 20 caps for England, scoring once in last summer’s 2-0 World Cup quarter-final win over Sweden.
● Meanwhile, Tottenham have signed midfielder Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon for an initial club-record fee of £53.8million.
The deal for Ndombele, who has agreed a six-year contract, could eventually be worth 70 million euros (£62.77million), according to the French club.
Spurs said in a statement on Twitter: “We are delighted to announce the signing of Tanguy Ndombele from Olympique Lyonnais.
“The France international central midfielder has signed a contract with the club until 2025.”
Earlier, Tottenham also completed the signing of winger Jack Clarke from Leeds on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee.
The 18-year-old will return to Elland Road on loan for the duration of the 2019-20 campaign.
Clarke had become the first signing made by Mauricio Pochettino’s Champions League finalists since Lucas Moura joined from Paris St Germain during January 2018.
While Clarke is set to be one for the future, Ndombele can expect to be integrated straight into Pochettino’s squad next season.
The midfielder started his professional career at Amiens in Ligue 2, before initially joining Lyon on loan during August 2017, the move becoming permanent the following summer.