Michael Dawson questions Leicester City’s stance over Harry Maguire

Harry Maguire’s former teammate Michael Dawson has questioned just how Leicester City can stand in the way of the star defender after what he has done for them.

Manchester United have been pursuing Maguire since the last summer but Leicester’s obstinacy has not let them come anyway near their long-term target.

Leicester have been demanding a world-record £80 million for the 26-year old; however, the Red Devils are yet to match that despite reports that an £80 million agreement has been reached.

Most of the fans have seen Leicester’s stubbornness as a sign of the changing times and the club’s improving stature, but Maguire’s former teammate Dawson doesn’t sound like he’s amused.

"“You always want to keep your best players, every club is the same and Leicester City are no different,” Dawson told Sky Sports.“When they signed him for £17m, you think: ‘Wow, that’s a lot of money.’“But what he’s gone on to bring for them… With big Wes (Morgan) and (Robert) Huth winning the Premier League, the different side of the game that Harry could bring was just incredible.“Leicester have had him for two years and he’s had the opportunity to have the England career he’s having at the moment. He’ll be there for many years. He’s a top-class player.“When the deal does happen, and you think it will happen now with the figures that are being banded around, you’re going to wonder how Leicester do turn it down.“How can you stop a player like Harry, what he’s done for them, to go and play for a team like Manchester United, a massive football club?”"

Dawson was also full of praise for how Maguire has dealt with this situation.

He has played in all of Leicester’s pre-season fixtures and done so without adding any fuel to the fire with notorious social media posts or interviews.

The Nottingham Forest centre-back reckons Maguire never do that as that’s just not his character.

"“You’ve seen him playing in all the pre-season friendlies.“You see some players trying to force moves that refuse to play. That’s one thing Harry’s not done.“He’s one of those characters. He’s a great lad who keeps his head down and works.”"

Maybe we are nearing that time when Maguire hands in a transfer request out of frustration.

There cannot be two years of the same transfer story without there being something to it. The former Hull City man does want a move, and while Leicester’s asking price is more or less justified given the importance of Maguire to them, it is only in everyone’s best interests that he be sold.

If Leicester do continue to deal with the situation the same way, they would pave way for an ugly, ugly transfer saga that even threatens to derail a season that hasn’t even got underway yet.