In one of the biggest transfer deal of the year, Manchester United has beaten its close rival Manchester City in closing the deal to acquire defender Harry Maguire. The deal went down as the biggest in Premier League history as the Red Devils reportedly paid £80 million to move Maguire from Leicester City to Old Trafford, apparently, the highest fee to be paid for a defender.
Recent reports claim that Maguire will undergo the necessary medical checkup at Carrington before making his way into Old Trafford.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola confirmed that his club's rival, Manchester United, have beaten them to acquire Maguire. Manchester City has been keen on acquiring Maguire since the exit of Vincent Kompany. However, Guardiola admitted that Manchester City could not match the deal offered by the Red Devils to Maguire.
In a statement following the Community Shield match, Guardiola has this to say for Maguire, "Maguire is an excellent, top class player, a top class central defender. We were interested in him but we could not afford it and United could afford it."
When asked about the Red Devils' contention for this year's titles, Guardiola said that the defender would no doubt bolster the club's chance to take home a title.
Last season, Manchester City won its second consecutive title after a close race with Liverpool. City earned 98 points, besting that of Liverpool's 97 point.
In the recently concluded Community Shield, City started strong with the opening goal from Raheem Sterling. However, Liverpool pushed through and scored the equalizer from Joel Matip. The rest of the match was played on equal footing until the end of regulation. Manchester City ended up on the winning side closing in on penalties 4-5.
Five players - Gabriel Jesus, Olexandr Zinchenko, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, and Ilkay Gundogan - scored for Manchester City. City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo eventually won the penalties for City after he saved an attempt for Liverpool's Giorgino Wijnaldum.
The Community Shield match revealed that Manchester City is in good contention to possibly win the Premier League title for the third consecutive time. The club managed to boost its ranks with some notable signings. However, many analysts have noted that the club does not need to readjust its roster as it is already composed of notable players. While Manchester United is keen into winning major titles, rival Manchester City is sure to challenge that this upcoming season.
