Manchester United set to miss out on Maguire to Premier League rivals

Manchester City are firm favourites to sign Leicester centre-back Harry Maguire ahead of rivals Manchester United, reports The Daily Mirror.

Leicester will honour a verbal agreement between Maguire and their late owner, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, to let the England international secure a high profile move this summer.

Maguire has been heavily linked with a move to City and United this summer but it is the former who are set to sign the 26-year-old.

Pep Guardiola has earmarked Maguire as his ideal replacement for outgoing captain Vincent Kompany and the Premier League champions are prepared to break their club transfer record to land him.

Leicester were holding out for £90m for the towering centre-back but it is understood Brendan Rodgers’ side will accept £65m, which City are willing to pay.

It comes as a huge blow to their neighbourhood rivals United, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to overhaul his defensive options.

Maguire’s preference is to join City and work under Guardiola, leaving United back at square one in their pursuit of a top quality centre-back.

Of players that contested at least 30 aerial duels in the Premier League last season, Maguire had the best success rate (77.6%).