Harry Maguire roadblock causes Man Utd to be overtaken by Newcastle for top defender after ‘concrete talks’
The inability to shift Harry Maguire might cost Man Utd in the race to sign one of the main defenders they have been hoping to replace him with, according to a reporter.
Man Utd are in the market for a new centre-back this summer after strengthening the position with Raphael Varane in 2021 and Lisandro Martinez in 2022. Those signings ended up pushing club captain Maguire down the pecking order.
For the third summer in a row, Man Utd have been hoping to invest in a new defender. Originally, they were keen on Kim Min-jae from Napoli, until Bayern Munich overtook them in that pursuit and, as TEAMtalk exclusively revealed, Newcastle failed with an attempt to hijack the deal.
The attention has since turned to other options, one of which has been Axel Disasi from Monaco. However, an update from Florian Plettenberg has provided bad news for Man Utd again.
According to the Sky Sports man, Newcastle have held ‘concrete talks’ with Monaco about signing Disasi.
Because of Man Utd needing to sell players first – with Plettenberg directly naming Maguire in his update – they have fallen behind in the battle to bring Disasi to the Premier League.
Until Man Utd can find a buyer for Maguire and convince him to leave, they will struggle to sign someone else to compete with Varane, Martinez and Victor Lindelof.
Recent reports claimed Maguire may be of interest to Tottenham, West Ham and Aston Villa, but his £50m price tag and high wage demands could be obstacles to any of them.
Newcastle now in lead for Man Utd target
And that has played into the hands of Newcastle, from whom Monaco are now awaiting an official bid for Disasi.
Like Man Utd, Newcastle will have Champions League participation on offer for Disasi next season. They have also been rebuilding their defence in recent years, such as by bringing in Sven Botman last summer.
Botman’s main centre-back partner last season was Fabian Schar, but Eddie Howe might want to phase out the 31-year-old for a long-term successor.
At the age of 25, Disasi could fit the bill as a player ready to enter his prime years but still with margin for improvement. Furthermore, as a right-footer, he would complement the left-sided Botman.
It is not yet clear how much Newcastle might be willing to pay for Disasi, nor what any kind of counter-offer by Man Utd could be.
There are only two years remaining on his contract with Monaco, though, so this could be the ideal transfer window for him to move in.
After all, if he didn’t extend his contract, he may be available for a cut-price fee next summer or on a free transfer the year after.
The France international could therefore be due for his first taste of Premier League action, having previously spent his entire club career in his native country. Indeed, Disasi has had spells with Paris FC, Reims and Monaco.
An English club could be next on his list, but unless something changes on the Maguire front, it seems more likely to be Newcastle than Man Utd.
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