Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has hailed the arrival of Harry Maguire and believes Manchester United now have one of the best defenders in the game. United had made strengthening the centre of their defence a priority at the start of the summer, with the need only becoming more acute when Eric Bailly suffered a knee injury during their pre-season tour of China which is expected to keep him out for at least four months.
Maguire has been a top target for the best part of 12 months, with former boss Jose Mourinho also keen to do a deal, and Solskjaer is delighted to have finally landed his man. The Norwegian is in no doubt that he will be a great signing for the club and the huge financial outlay to land him, will be worth it. “Harry is one of the best centre-backs in the game today,” Solskjaer said.
“He is a great reader of the game and has a strong presence on the pitch, with the ability to remain calm under pressure. “He will fit well into this group both on and off the pitch.” Maguire’s arrival will almost certainly lead to a clear-out at Old Trafford, where there are already six defenders – Bailly, Victor Lindelof, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Marcus Rojo and Axel Tuanzebe – in the senior squad.
