Sports Tuesday, August 6, 2019 13 Manchester United make Maguire world’s most expensive defender AFP home to Chelsea on Sunday and United manager land reached the semi-finals for the first time LONDON Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is confident he will live up to since 1990. his hefty price tag. United were interested in his signature last Three things MANCHESTER United signed Harry Maguire from “Harry is one of the best centre-backs in the summer, but baulked at Leicester’s asking price. Leicester on Monday for a reported £80 million fee game today and I am delighted we have secured his A year on and with the heart of their defence that makes the England centre-back the world’s signature,” he said. brutally exposed in finishing sixth in the Premier about Harry most expensive defender. “He is a great reader of the game and has a League last season to miss out on Champions United have secured Maguire on a six-year con- strong presence on the pitch, with the ability to League qualification, the Red Devils finally paid the tract with an option for a further 12-month extension. remain calm under pressure - coupled with his fee the Foxes’ demanded. AFP ed academy manager John The £75 million Liverpool paid for Virgil composure on the ball and a huge presence in both Solskjaer had made strengthening central de- LONDON Pemberton switched him to van Dijk in 2018 was the previous record fee for boxes - I can see he will fit well into this group both fence a priority, with that need only becoming more central defence, saying his a defender. on and off the pitch. acute when Eric Bailly suffered a knee injury dur- HARRY Maguire became the ability to bring the ball out of However, Juventus’ capture of Van Dijk’s Neth- “He has a great personality and is a fantastic ad- ing the pre-season tour of China which is expected most expensive defender in the defence made him stand out. erlands teammate Matthijs de Ligt ear- dition to the club.” Manchester City to keep him out for at least four months. world when he signed for Man- Hardly a surprise then lier this month (July) could rise to 85.5 had been interested in Maguire, but Maguire’s arrival also continues the trend of chester United from Leicester that Maguire’s idols were million euros (£77 million) in add-ons. Pepe Guardiola admitted on Sun- United targeting young British talent rather than City for a reported £80 million John Terry and Terry’s long- It is also a record fee between day that the champions couldn’t big-name foreign imports. ($97 million) on Monday. time international partner Premier League clubs, surpassing afford his huge fee. The English giants have already splashed nearly AFP Sport picks out three Rio Ferdinand. Ferdinand Van Dijk’s move to Anfield from £70 million on promising youngsters Daniel James facts few people know about stood out for Maguire. “I re- Southampton and Romelu Lukaku’s Meteoric rise and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. the 26-year-old England cen- ally looked up to them, espe- switch from Everton to Manchester Maguire, 26, shot to promi- Maguire started his career at Sheffield United tral defender: cially Rio Ferdinand, because United. nence for his performances at before making the leap into the Premier League Head for figures Jamie he brought the ball out of “I am delighted to have signed last year’s World Cup as Eng- with Hull in 2014. Vardy may joke about the defence really well,” Maguire for this great club. I have thor- After impressing even as the Tigers were rel- size of his former Leicester said when he was at Hull. oughly enjoyed my time at Leices- egated two years ago, he joined Leicester in a £17 teammate’s head but, ac- “Very comfortable on the ter and would like to thank everyone million deal. cording to a former school- ball and he had a bit of eve- at the club. However, when Man- His England debut followed in October 2017 teacher, Maguire has brains rything in his prime. A great chester United come knocking on and he emerged as one of the unlikely stars of the as well as brawn. centre-half in his time.” your door, it is an incredible World Cup, where he featured in all of the Three “He was a remarkable Bin there done thatMagu- opportunity,” Maguire told Lions’ seven games and scored in the quarter-final pupil who always came in ire turned up at his first in- United’s website. Maguire became the victory over Sweden. and worked very hard,” Sue ternational get-together in “From my con- world’s most expensive That signified a meteoric rise for Maguire who Cain, deputy headteacher at 2017 not with his belongings versations with the just two years previously had travelled as a fan to Maguir’s old school told the in designer luggage but in a manager, I am ex- defender on Monday support England at Euro 2016. Derbyshire Times. bin bag. His mother was not cited about the Nicknamed “slab head” by former Leicester “He was never in any impressed and social media vision and plans when Manchester teammate Jamie Vardy for his physical prowess in trouble and he had such a had lots of fun at his expense he has for the the air, Maguire has also impressed with his ability good attitude. He did eve- with tweets such as “Harry team. It’s clear United signed him to play out from the back. rything you asked him to already sorting out the rub- to see that Ole for a reported fee However, City were less in need to break the do and he never questioned bish defence”. is building a bank for the 26-year-old after winning the first why. He was a popular lad.” He took it in good heart. team to win of £80 million ever domestic treble of trophies in English foot- Cain said he could have “I’ve seen that on Twitter trophies. I ball history. forged a career in the grey- with the bags – it was just full am now look- ($97 million) By contrast, United need to shore up a de- suited world of accountancy. of boots and shin pads and ing forward fence that conceded “He got A* and A grades in dirty stuff, which I’ll give the to meeting my 54 goals in the his GCSEs,” she said. “I think kit man,” he explained. “I’ll new team- Premier League he would have gone on to try and get some in future. mates and get- last season and study business or maths and My Mum mentioned it. She ting the season are counting on probably have been an ac- gave me a text later on saying started.” Maguire, Maguire’s pres- countant.” what’s with the bags? It was 26, could make ence to cut the Rio had it all although just a bit of fun. I try my best his debut in his massive gap to ri- Maguire began his nascent to keep my feet on the floor new club’s Premier Harry vals City and Euro- football career as a teenager and stay humble and let my League opener at Maguire pean champions Liverpool. in midfield, Sheffield Unit- ability do the talking.” THE WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE DEFENDERS ● Harry Maguire, £80 million, with a fee so huge that defender to sign the million, Atletico Madrid to before joining Bundesliga midfielder to centre-back. De Manchester City (January Leicester to Manchester even big-spending Netherlands centre-half and Bayern Munich (July 2019) champions Bayern. Ligt played more than 100 2018) The French centre-half United (August 2019) Manchester City bowed out Van Dijk has proved a huge games for Ajax and captained joined Athletic Bilbao at the of the race to sign him. success, helping Liverpool The France international ● Matthijs De Ligt, £67.5 a youthful side to the semis age of 16. Also able to play The England centre-back reach two Champions League moved to Spain at the age of million (could rise to £77 of the Champions League left-back, Laporte made more was top of Manchester ● Virgil van Dijk, £75 million, finals. They won the second four and joined Atletico million with potential last season before joining than 200 appearances for United’s transfer window Southampton to Liverpool of those, against Tottenham, Madrid’s junior set-up. add-ons), Ajax to Juventus Juventus a month before Bilbao before Manchester shopping list after their (January 2018) to be crowned European Hernandez became a World (July 2019). De Ligt made his his 20th birthday. City signed him for a then defensive woes last season champions for a sixth time. Cup winner in 2018 and Ajax and Netherlands debut club-record fee in January and boss Ole Gunnar Liverpool paid Southampton made more than 100 aged 17, quickly making the ● Aymeric Laporte, £57 a then world-record fee for a 2018. He has since won two Solskjaer finally got his man ● Lucas Hernandez, £68 appearances for Atletico switch from deep-lying million, Athletic Bilbao to Premier League titles at City. ‘A star is born!’ Golf-mad Japan Ajax dealt tricky Champions League salutes ‘Smiling Cinderella’ playoff after last season’s heartache AFP AFP THE DRAWS TOKYO Hinako Shibuno’s NYON (SWITZERLAND) win at her first Draw for Champions League playoff round (first JAPAN on Monday hailed LAST season’s Champions legs August 20/21, second legs August 27/28): Major dominated Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) or Ferencvaros (HUN) v a fairytale finish for Hinako League semi-finalists Ajax Maribor (SVN) or Rosenborg (NOR); CFR Cluj (ROM) Shibuno, the 20-year-old golf morning televi- will take on either Qarabag or Celtic (SCO) v Slavia Prague (CZE); Young Boys sensation known as ‘Smiling sion shows in or Apoel Nicosia in this year’s (SUI) v Red Star Belgrade (SRB) or FC Copenhagen Cinderella’ who was crowned playoff for the group stage if (DEN); Apoel Nicosia (CYP) or Qarabag (AZE) v PAOK Japan on Thessaloniki (GRE) or Ajax (NED); Basel 1893 (SUI) the surprise winner at the Monday, topping they find a way past PAOK or LASK (AUT) v Club Brugge (BEL) or Dynamo Kiev British Open.