Barcelona make shock move for Harry Maguire
FT Desk
- 27 Jun 2022 14:40 BST
- 3 min read
Barcelona have made a shock bid for Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire, according to The Sun.
The English tabloid reports that during negotiations between the two clubs for Frenkie de Jong, Barcelona asked for Maguire to be included in the deal in part exchange.
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But Man Utd are said to have rejected Barcelona’s request as new manager Erik ten Hag wants to work with the Englishman.
According to multiple sources, negotiations over De Jong are now at an advanced stage with Man Utd expected to pay in the region of €80 million for the Netherlands international.
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It seems rather improbable that Maguire could have joined Barcelona as the Catalan giants are hoping to recoup as much straight cash from the De Jong sale as possible in order to reinvest in other players.
However, Barcelona are known to be in the market for a new centre-back this summer.
Furthermore, Maguire’s future at Old Trafford has been called into question following a disastrous 2021-22 season.
Following a brilliant Euro 2020 with England a year ago, Maguire’s form plummeted in the past season as he made a string of errors leading to goals.
His poor form contributed to Man Utd having their worst season since the Premier League was created in 1992, as they finished in sixth place and failed to win a trophy or qualify for the Champions League.
It appears unlikely that Barcelona will return for another offer for Maguire.
According to most media in Spain, Barca’s primary defensive target this summer is Sevilla star Jules Kounde, who is also wanted by Chelsea.
Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly is also on Barcelona’s shortlist as his future at Napoli is under threat with his contract expiring next year.
Barcelona are currently in negotiations to sign Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich for around €50m.
