We begin this post with a doozy.
This is just too much, but that’s the price you pay for English national team center backs in the Premier League.
Manchester United is said to be prepared to offer Leicester City a wild $113 million to bring Harry Maguire to Old Trafford, a bid almost $13 million more than Man City’s reported ceiling (itself an eyebrow-raiser).
Either fee would break the transfer record Liverpool set on Virgil van Dijk, and just embarrass the $15 million Leicester spent to bring Maguire from Hull City two summers ago.
While the fee is insane, Maguire brings invaluable consistency in his performances and does have plenty of punch in the box on attacking corner kicks.
United was also said to be in on Wilfred Ndidi, and spending over $160 million on two players from the same club sure would say something. Do you think Brendan Rodgers prefers the players or the money?
Speaking of wacky transfer values...
Newcastle’s hopes of landing Salomon Rondon from West Bromwich Albion have been given a boost.
Why? Because Dwight Gayle’s incredible Championship record has Slaven Bilic valuing the Newcastle man about as much as Rondon’s fee.
Gayle, 28, has twice scored 23 goals in a Championship season, once with Newcastle and once on loan to West Brom last season. He’s scored 7, 6, 3, and 5 goals in four Premier League campaigns.
Meanwhile, the 29-year-old Rondon has scored 9, 8, 7, and 11 top flight goals in four seasons between West Brom and Newcastle.
For their values to deliver a straight swap is something Rafa Benitez or whoever’s in charge of Newcastle by the end of summer will love deeply.
