Harry Maguire has received plenty of interest since the World Cup ended, but according to his current boss, that’s all it will be.
Leicester City manager Claude Puel has gone on record to say Maguire and also goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel will not leave King Power Stadium this summer, despite the litany of reports linking them to moves around the Premier League.
“I think we can keep both players. It is crucial for us,” Puel said prior to Wednesday’s home friendly against Valencia. “We cannot lose players just a few days before the beginning of the season. We would not be able to find a solution and we cannot be be behind. Kasper and Maguire are so valuable for us. It is important to maintain our structure, our squad and all our valuable players for the team.”
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Maguire had a fabulous World Cup this summer, helping lead England to the semifinals. He was fantastic in the air, and performed admirably across a back three that featured John Stones and Kyle Walker. At 25 years old and a domestic player, Maguire has been quoted as high as $86 million in various media reports in links with Manchester United and Chelsea.
Schmeichel, despite a high-level performance in the World Cup of his own, had not been receiving as much play until Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was connected with a move to Real Madrid, with Schmeichel named as a potential replacement.
Schmeichel, a 31-year-old, has a contract with Leicester City that runs through 2021, while Maguire’s deal - signed on his arrival at Leicester City from Hull City last summer - expires in the summer of 2022. Leicester has already lost star winger Riyad Mahrez in a sale to Manchester City earlier this summer, and losing any more top players would gut the squad even further.
