Harry Maguire turned down a stunning £278,000-a-week deal from Manchester City to join their rivals, according to media reports.
The ex-Leicester defender was hot property before making a world record £80million move to Old Trafford this summer. City boss Pep Guardiola made it no secret of his desire to land the England international.
After Maguire made the switch to United, the Spaniard said: “Maguire is a top-class player. We were interested but we could not afford him. United could afford him – congratulations to them. Maguire is excellent. He had an incredible World Cup, he’s strong in the air, fast, young. He has all the qualities.”
And according to reports, City put together a personal package that was around £100,000-a-week more than what United were offering.
But the 26-year-old always had his heart set on a move to Manchester United and joining another club was not an option for the Sheffield-born star.
Maguire is already proving himself as an established leader in the dressing room – less than a fortnight after joining. Solskjaer is impressed at how the ex-Leicester star inspires team-mates in training.
A United source said: “He’s the leader United have missed for some time. The players were immediately excited by the prospect of him arriving. He’s given the back-four renewed confidence, not just by his ability but his words. The team feel stronger defending set-pieces now.”
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