It’s no surprise then that critics have been quick to paint a picture of Leicester City laughing all the way to the bank. How have Manchester United paid more for Maguire than Liverpool did for the gold standard of centre-backs, Virgil van Dijk?
But consider for a second how ludicrous the Dutchman’s fee appeared just 18 months ago. They say you can’t throw money at a problem but Liverpool solved theirs when Van Dijk’s arrival instantaneously transformed their defence.
Also consider that his transfer inflated the modern valuation of defenders. If Van Dijk had to move from Liverpool today, he’d go for a lot more than £75m. In theory, he should be priced quite comfortably above the £100m mark, putting Maguire’s £80m fee into perspective.
Now that we’ve fulfilled an unwritten obligation to address that eye-watering figure, let’s move on to more pertinent things, like its implications.
What United are essentially paying for is an all-important top four spot and it’s hardly credulous to assume they probably start that race in a better position than rivals Arsenal and Chelsea following the events of this summer.
Yes, the Gunners have signed a sensational player in Nicolas Pepe, but their attack was the least of their concerns. That would be like United securing Paulo Dybala and no centre-back at all.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have been crippled by a transfer ban and new manager Frank Lampard has a daunting task on his hands in dealing with Champions League commitments while Arsenal and United are likely to field fringe players in the Europa League.
United’s last campaign was a disaster to the extent that a repeat is almost inconceivable, yet they were only five points from a Champions League spot.
The acquisition of Aaron Wan-Bissaka in itself was a huge boost to a back-line severely lacking quality. Maguire’s addition cannot be overstated. His arrival gives United a solid foundation to build on, a back five that – on paper – can legitimately rival the best in the league.
Of course, many have pointed to Maguire’s obvious weakness. A lack of pace, especially against quick, diminutive forwards has been billed as his Achilles heel. As far as attributes go, he may not even be the ideal centre-back for United.
Kalidou Koulibaly is a more complete option and widely regarded as Van Dijk’s closest competitor. Then there’s RB Leipzig’s Ibrahima Konate, much younger of course, but already looking like the real deal.
Maguire doesn’t boast the range of qualities the ideal modern day centre-back should possess but he comes awfully close and the best players are able to compensate for shortcomings. Nemanja Vidic was never blessed with pace, a flaw Fernando Torres exposed mercilessly on more than one occasion. But he was still one of the best centre-backs in the game at the time.
78% - Harry Maguire won 78% of his aerial duels in the 2018-19 Premier League season; a better success rate than any of the 205 other players to be involved in 50+ aerials in the competition, just ahead of Virgil van Dijk (75%). Slab. pic.twitter.com/SK0OVlUHU6
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 2, 2019
Ultimately what United should be really excited by is how much of an improvement Maguire is to their current crop. According to Opta, he won more duels both aerial (4.1) and in total (6.3), made more clearances (5.3) and more passes (61) per 90 minutes than all the centre-backs at Old Trafford in the Premier League last season.
Having emerged as a figurehead not just at Leicester but also during England’s remarkable World Cup run last year, he represents a massive upgrade in character and leadership, traits that can’t be quantified but are nonetheless crucial and where United’s squad as a whole has been lacking.
Maguire’s arrival is far from a slam dunk for United. He should’ve been signed last season but the Red Devils couldn’t pull it off, much to Jose Mourinho’s chagrin. They’ve had to pay through their nose as well, but they got the job done and that was imperative.
That’s been the theme of this summer for United. They were always going to be held at ransom but they simply couldn’t afford a repeat of last year. Daniel James was a good buy and Wan-Bissaka an excellent one, addressing two problem areas.
Maguire’s addition checked another box – the biggest one – and though a midfielder would be ideal now, in getting most of their targets United have earned the luxury to fantasize about signing a genuine superstar in Dybala as well and in doing so, make a real statement.
They have no business being in the market for a player of that calibre at the moment but Maguire’s signing has lifted a huge weight off their shoulders. Such is its significance.
