Manchester United keen on World Cup star Harry Maguire

Bengaluru, July 24: Jose Mourinho will have to sell a centre-back if he wants England and Leicester City star Harry Maguire at Manchester United, according to reports.

Maguire moved to the King Power a year ago from relegated Hull for £17million but in the meantime, his stocks have risen substantially.

The 25-year-old was excellent for the Foxes last term and his reputation and value rocketed after a successful World Cup with England where he was one of the best players for the Three Lions.

Leicester City are desperate to hold on to the defender and are looking to tie him down to an improved contract when he returns from an extended break due to World Cup duty. However, if the Foxes top brass decides to sell, they could demand up to £65m.

The Red Devils boss Mourinho wants a tough-tackling, commanding central defender similar to John Terry at his peak and does not think any of his current options fit the bill. Maguire does tick all the boxes and the interest he is getting is quite expected.

If the former Chelsea boss does step up his interest in Maguire, he will have to offload a central defender first to make room. That means one of Marcos Rojo, Eric Bailly, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones or Victor Lindelof will have to be sacrificed to accommodate the Three Lions hero.

Rojo may be the most viable option as he has fallen the furthest down the pecking order since returning from a serious knee injury in November. Bailly also fell out of favour with Mourinho towards the end of last season, while any of Smalling, Jones and Lindelof could be sold with none being able to impress completely.

The United boss was asked about more potential incomings after a drab 0-0 draw with San Jose Earthquakes and he replied, “One thing is what I want and another thing is what is going to happen."

The Red Devils have also identified Spurs stopper Toby Alderweireld and AC Milan skipper Leonardo Bonucci as the other two options for the same position.