England’s World Cup hero Harry Maguire should be targeted by Liverpool as a perfect central defensive partner for Virgil van Dijk, according to a club legend, Phil Thompson.
Maguire has enjoyed a stellar World Cup on the left-side of England’s three-man central defence alongside Kyle Walker and John Stones.
Other than Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, Maguire is the only member of England’s regular starting XI to play his club football outside of the Premier League’s top six.
He joined Leicester from Hull for £17million last summer, but Liverpool legend Phil Thompson feels he would now cost more than triple that.
And Thompson wants Liverpool to “be at the forefront” of clubs wanting to sign the 25-year-old.
“I’ve been a big fan of Harry Maguire since his days at Hull City,” Thompson told the Liverpool Echo. “Since then he’s got better and better.
“He’s had a fantastic World Cup so far. I was saying long before the tournament started that he has all the attributes needed to be a Liverpool player.
“He’s big, he’s strong and positionally he’s very good whether as a two or a three at the back.
“He’s a lot quicker than people give him credit for. He dominates in the air and that’s a major asset both defensively and offensively.
“He’s also very comfortable on the ball. He’s better than John Stones when it comes to passing it out from the back.
“Harry has been one of the best defenders in the World Cup and he certainly fits Liverpool’s philosophy. I can’t speak more highly of him.
“No disrespect to Leicester but I can’t see him being there come the end of the transfer window. I think he would have been £50million before the World Cup and probably a bit more now. But I think he would be worth it.
“Big clubs will be after him and I’d like to think that Liverpool would be at the forefront.
“It’s hard saying it because Dejan Lovren had a pretty good season but I do think it’s an area where we have struggled for a while.
“Harry would be an upgrade. He’s like an English version of Van Dijk.
“Harry is probably even more physical than Van Dijk which is another plus and I’d see them as a great combination. He would give us that extra solidity back there.
“It would be another statement. They would be our centre-back combination for years to come.”