Wolves move for Marcos Rojo as Manchester United prepare huge bid for Harry Maguire 
Wolverhampton Wanderers are closing in on a deal to sign Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo for £25 million as Jose Mourinho clears the decks in anticipation of a huge bid for Leicester City’s Harry Maguire. But Leicester are prepared to make Maguire the second highest paid player at the club behind striker Jamie Vardy after warning United the England centre-back is not for sale. Mourinho has been told he needs to offload one of United’s existing five central defenders to make way for Maguire or another centre-half recruit and Rojo is the one likely to make way. The Argentinian only signed a new three-year contract in March but Mourinho is ready to dispense with the player signed by Louis van Gaal from Sporting Lisbon for £15.8 million in 2014 as Wolves continue their summer splurge. The Premier League newcomers have already signed Portuguese duo Rui Patricio and Joao Moutinho as well as defender Jonny and Mexico forward Raul Jimenez on loan deals and are now braced to add Rojo to their ranks in another indication of their ambition following promotion. Rojo has not joined up with United’s squad for their pre-season tour of the US, despite Argentina being knocked out of the World Cup in the last 16.
United are willing to smash the record fee for an English defender by offering in excess of £60 million for Maguire as Mourinho bids to bolster his back line.
But Claude Puel wants to build his side around Maguire and Leicester are ready to demonstrate the 25-year-old’s value to them with a new contract worth up to £100,000 a week that would leave the player behind only Vardy in the club’s pay stakes.
Maguire would stand to earn more than that at Old Trafford but Leicester - who allowed Riyad Mahrez to join Manchester City for £60 million earlier this month after rebuffing approaches for the Algeria playmaker in previous windows - insist there is no desire or imperative for them to sell.
Maguire’s financial position has been strengthened by his impressing showings for England at the World Cup in Russia this summer and United’s interest only 12 months after the defender - who has four years left on his existing deal - joined Leicester from Hull City for £17 million. United approached Leicester this week and will not be easily dissuaded but it could take an eye-watering offer of more than £70 million to force the Midlands club to soften their stance.
Kyle Walker, who joined Manchester City from Tottenham Hotspur for £50 million last summer, is currently the most expensive English defender in history. Toby Alderweireld, of Spurs, and AC Milan’s Leonardo Bonucci are other centre-halves with whom United have been linked.
With the transfer window due to close on August 9 - the day before United face Leicester at Old Trafford in the Premier League curtain raiser - time is of the essence for Mourinho. In addition to Rojo, another defender who is expected to leave Old Trafford before the window closes is Matteo Darmian, who has fallen to third in the pecking order behind Antonio Valencia and new £19 million recruit Diogo Dalot.
The Italy right back was given the captain’s armband during United’s friendly against AC Milan in Los Angeles in the early hours on Thursday but Darmian is still hoping to quit Old Trafford this summer as he does not feel he will play enough first team football next term.
“I still want to leave, that’s what I want,” Darmian said. “But we will see what happens because we don’t know. A return to Italy could be an option.”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/07/27/wolves-move-marcos-rojo-manchester-united-prepare-huge-bid-harry/ [ 此帖被羅力亞在2018-07-28 14:27重新編輯 ]
