Harry Maguire Wants Manchester City Move as Leicester Play Hardball Over Proposed Fee

Leicester defender Harry Maguire has chosen Manchester City over crosstown rivals Manchester United, but faces the possibility of being priced out of a move by his current club's hefty valuation. 

The Foxes have repeatedly claimed that a world record fee would be required to prise their prized defender from their grasp, and have already rejected bids from City and United worth £70m.

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And, though £80m is the figure that has been bandied about the most, according to The Sun, that is still a bridge too far for the Citizens, who are now only willing to pay around £60m for the 26-year-old England international. 

United, meanwhile, have been chasing Maguire since just before last summer's World Cup, where he enjoyed a breakout tournament for the Three Lions, but couldn't agree on a deal with the Foxes.

The Red Devils are prepared to pay Leicester's extortionate asking price, but Maguire will reject their advances in favour of joining the four-time Premier League winners.

The former Sheffield United and Hull star has set his heart set on playing under Pep Guardiola at the Etihad, with the added bonus of Champions League football and the contrasting trajectories of both clubs major factors in this decision. 

But, though City see Maguire as the ideal replacement for departing captain Vincent Kompany, they seem unwilling to meet the one-time Premier League champions' demands. This is a continuation of their preferred transfer model of recent years, whereby they fail to be bullied into paying overly inflated price tags, despite their great riches. 

Thus, the move rests on either Maguire forcing his current club to reconsider their valuation or City reconsidering this model in order to land the player.