Rodgers warns Manchester United over pursuit of Maguire

Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers has warned Manchester United Harry Maguire will not be sold unless their £80m valuation is met.

The England international has been heavily linked with a move to both United and Manchester City in recent months.

Both Premier League giants have earmarked Maguire as a top transfer target but are reluctant to match Leicester’s world-record valuation.

Maguire has asked Leicester to let him leave this summer but the hulking centre-back is content at the King Power Stadium and will not force his way out of the club.

United are understood to be £10m short of Leicester’s valuation and believe their offer is more than fair and have used Matthijs de Ligt's impending £67m move to Juventus as a reference point.

However, Leicester are under no pressure to sell Maguire due to the fact the 26-year-old still has four years left to run on his current deal.

“We don’t have to sell Harry,” The Daily Mirror quote Rodgers as saying. “Harry has been absolutely brilliant about this right from the word go. He’s a top, top player and a top guy. I think it’s important the supporters know that.

“I’ve been in this situation before with players and it’s not always easy but Harry has been absolutely superb. We’ve had a chat about it, obviously.

“He’s happy and I tip my hat to him for the way he’s dealt with all this because it can be unsettling. I’m relaxed about it all. We understand the situation from all points of view because United and City are big clubs.

“But unless they meet our valuation he won’t be sold and it’s as simple as that.”

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