Manchester City will press ahead with attempts to sign Harry Maguire after confirming Vincent Kompany’s departure.
Sportsmail understands Maguire is Pep Guardiola’s No 1 choice to replace Kompany, who yesterday announced he was leaving after 11 years to take up the player-manager’s job at Anderlecht.
The City manager even approached the Leicester defender on the pitch at the Etihad to express his admiration. Guardiola made a beeline for Maguire after City’s 1-0 win earlier this month and lavished him with praise for his performance.
Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers rates Maguire, 26, highly and does not want to sell a man who signed a new five-year contract last September.
It is believed City would need to offer a huge sum to get Maguire. It might eclipse the £75million that Liverpool paid for Virgil van Dijk.
Rodgers is aware that his players will attract interest this summer. ‘I have had situations before with players who have been linked with going to bigger clubs and you try to give an honest appraisal of it,’ he said.
‘I will speak to a player like I would speak to my son. Then they are men and they have to make their own decision.’