According to reports, Tottenham Hotspur are targeting Hull City defender Harry Maguire to bolster their defence. The 24-year-old has caught the attention of many clubs with his brilliant performance in the Hull backline and now Mauricio Pochettino wants to bring him to Tottenham Hotspur. The former Wigan Athletic defender has been the in-demand player and Newcastle United, who recently won the Championship title are reportedly also interested in securing the services of the player.
Maguire has emerged as one of the best young defenders of this Premier League season. Signing a defender has been one of the priorities of Pochettino and he has identified Maguire as his preferred choice. There are a few other young defenders who are pretty impressive but Michael Keane might prefer a move back to Old Trafford while Ben Gibson signed a new five-year deal with Middlesbrough which means Boro might demand a higher fee to let go of their prized assets.
The fact that Maguire can play in both three man defence and a four-man backline works in his way. He is very quick on the ball and also knows the art of scoring. A fee in the region of £12-15m might be enough as the player has only a year left on his current contract. Given the current situation, Hull might get relegated which would ease his way out from the club.
Spurs have been one of the meanest defence in this season. Pochettino already has Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Eric Dier at his disposal and adding a fourth defender would give them a stiff competition. Also, Eric Dier has been linked with Manchester United and it could be the fact which forced Pochettino to come into the thick of the action.
Maguire hasn’t pledged his future since joining the club in 2014 and Hull owners will feel the urgency to tie him to a new contract which is seemingly impossible at this time. The idea of selling him might come back to haunt Hull City if they get demoted to the Championship. Kevin Wimmer might leave the club which would pave his way to the White Hart lane. Spurs are certain to take part in the Champions League next season and Pochettino would feel the need for an extra defender to rotate his squad.
The North London club need to act fast as any further delay could allow the player to sign for another club.
