Everton talking to Manchester United about Maguire loan

On a relatively quiet day for transfer speculation one story has emerged claiming Everton are in talks with Manchester United over a loan for their defender Harry Maguire.

While most of the talk over the summer has been about which forwards the Blues are targetting, in my opnion the defence (especially in the centre) also needed reinforcements too.

This was true after Everton let Conor Coady and Yerry Mina leave at the start of the transfer window and it has become even more urgent with the injury yesterday to James Tarkowski.

Losing the Toffees best centre-back and a leader in the team is a huge blow for Sean Dyche – particularly given how unreliable his other centre-halves are – and is yet another example of the Blues notoriously dreadful luck with injury.

Tarkowski’s misfortune comes just a week after last season’s top scorer Dwight McNeil went down hurt in the 1-0 win at Stoke City.

And, on top of that, new signing Arnaut Danjuma also picked up a knock in training last week and is a possible doubt for the season opener at home to Fulham next Saturday.

I’ve know said it so many times before, but you just can’t make this stuff up!

So, with Tarkowksi now looking unlikely to be fit enough to face Fulham, Everton are having to go into the market with real urgency and find another centre-back.

And now there are rumours that the club want to bring in Maguire, United’s former captain and a current England international, on loan.

This will be recieved with mixed views by the average Evertonian.

The 30-year-old is hardly a player to inspire huge confidence given that he had a rocky campaign last time out with United and was widely seen as the major weak link in their defence.

Everton already have a central defender of the same age as Maguire who was also an England international and is renowed for making costly errors, and that of course is Michael Keane.

Neither player is the quickest or the most comfortable defending one-on-one against speedy forwards with excellent movement and there are plenty of those in the Premier League.

The other stumbling block is his wages as Maguire is currently on £200,000 per week. That’s huge money and would surely be a problem for the Toffees.

Despite all this other clubs are also apparently looking at Maguire and so even of the Blues are serious about a move for him, they will face plenty of competition.