Reports from the Daily Star claim that Tottenham have joined the race alongside other Premier League clubs to sign Hull City defender Harry Maguire.
The defender has been a key figure for Hull City since the arrival of Marco Silva and the recent turn of form the Tigers have experienced. The 23-year-old’s form has attracted interest from the likes of Everton and Southampton. Now Spurs reportedly have one eye on the Englishman, we could see the fee paid for Maguire rise to £15m.
The Daily Star inform us that Maguire’s contract at Hull runs out in June next year, and with the defender under no long-term contract, Hull might be forced to sell up.
Mauricio Pochettino has experimented with a couple of systems throughout this season, the 4-2-3-1 formation and the 3-4-2-1 formation. However, with the injury of Jan Vertonghen, the failure of Kevin Wimmer in recent weeks and the failure of the system itself against Manchester City, Pochettino has reverted to a more conventional 4-2-3-1 system more recently.
It would seem from this report that Mauricio Pochettino is looking for centre-back cover. Whether that means he has a long-term goal to see Spurs play in a 3-4-2-1 system, or is just looking for better squad depth either to slot alongside or replace Kevin Wimmer remains to be seen. Either way, Maguire would seem to be a sensible signing as he can slot comfortably into a three-at-the-back or a four-at-the-back system.
Would Maguire be a good summer signing for Spurs?
With Spurs playing a four-at-the-back system prior to this season, the starting pair of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld with cover that consisted of Kevin Wimmer and Eric Dier looked to be sufficient. However, the signing of Maguire would give Mauricio Pochettino the option of playing three-at-the-back on a regular basis with strong cover in the squad.
Harry Maguire has caught my eye on many occasions this season, and has impressed me especially since the arrival of Marco Silva as Hull boss. The defender looks capable of dealing with the physicality of the very best in the business, and looks confident in bringing the ball out from the back, something that Mauricio Pochettino likes to see and encourages from his players.
The signing of Maguire could also spell the end for Kevin Wimmer, there is of course already uncertainty about his future. It is of course possible that the Austrian could seek a move back to Germany, where there might be more first team opportunities for Wimmer.
In my opinion, Harry Maguire would be an excellent signing for Spurs if they can pull it off over the summer. He looks to be a very capable player at this level, and can slot easily into whatever formation Pochettino wants to play in both the short-term and the long-term.
