Man United Transfer: Manchester United are set to sell their former captain Harry Maguire to West Ham United for a £30 million transfer fee. However, with the experienced centre-back set to leave, the Red Devils will need to find a replacement soon to keep the depth of the squad. As a replacement, they are targeting three players – Edmond Tapsoba from Bayer Leverkusen, Jean-Clair Todibo from Nice, and Benjamin Pavard from Bayern Munich. Man United already talked to Todibo, while Pavard is also keen on the move.
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Harry Maguire fell out of favour with the Manchester United coach Erik Ten Hag. He was already getting very little playing time last season. In the few matches he appeared in, some disastrous performances did not help his cause. His mistakes even cost Man United their chances at Europa League. He started in only 16 matches for Man United last season throughout all competitions. Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane became the top choice for the coach last season. Even when they were injured, Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof were the second choices.
Maguire fell far down the line. A few weeks ago, he lost his captaincy. The armband went to Bruno Fernandes who was already serving as a captain in Maguire’s absence last season. He is now named the captain on a permanent basis. Less starting XI spots would jeopardize Maguire’s place in the national team as well. Hence, he has been ready to move away for some time. The Red Devils set a £30 million asking price for Maguire and West Ham agreed. The transfer is close to completion.
This puts a damper on Ten Hag’s plan of having at least 2 players on hand for every position. He will have to look for a strong replacement for Maguire and Man United have come up with three names. They are targeting Edmond Tapsoba from Bayer Leverkusen, Jean-Clair Todibo from Nice, and Benjamin Pavard from Bayern Munich. Man United approached Tapsoba back in 2021 as well. The 24-year-old made the AFCON 2021 Team of the Tournament. He has also appeared in more than 100 games for Leverkusen since his move there in 2020.
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However, the player’s price tag could become a problem for the Red Devils. On the other hand, they have been chasing Todibo for some time too. Reportedly, they have already talked to the player’s representatives and his brother. However, it’s still not clear if the talks were positive or not. They are still interested in the 23-year-old, who also caught the attention of Juventus this summer. However, the £35 million asking price was too much for them. Todibo moved to Nice from Barcelona for a £8.5 million transfer fee.
Following his move to the Ligue 1 club, Todibo is excelling. Hence, he won’t come cheap for the Red Devils either. However, Bayern Munich’s Benjamin Pavard could cost them the most. Pavard only has a year left on his contract and the arrival of Kim Min-Jae could see him getting less playing time. Hence, Pavard could be convinced and reportedly, he has shown keen interest in the possible move. Fred, Scott Mcatominay, and Dean Henderson could also leave in the coming weeks. The money will help them to bring in their desired centre-back.
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