Path is clear for Manchester United to sign Harry Maguire - if they pay this fee

Manchester United are now the only club pursuing Leicester defender Harry Maguire, report The Sun

Manchester City have also been linked with the England international this summer, but the Premier League champions have now pulled out of the race. 

That is a major boost to United's chances of landing the former Hull centre-back, who was thought to prefer the prospect of moving to the Eithad Stadium. 

However, United will have to stump up a world-record fee for a defender if they are to conclude a deal before the start of next season. 

Leicester are standing firm on their £85m valuation, having dismissed United's first offer of £70m plus Marcos Rojo. 

The Foxes have told Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ed Woodward that they are not interested in any sort of cash-plus-players proposal, meaning that United will have to pay the full fee to acquire Maguire. 

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Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).