OPINION
Newcastle United had a miserable time against Leicester City at the weekend as they slumped to a 2-0 defeat at St James Park and a newspaper report has just added even more salt to the wounds.
The Daily Mail reported on Sunday that that Foxes’ defender Harry Maguire was on the Magpies’ radar last year following Hull City’s relegation but they failed in their pursuit to get him as they deemed him not good enough, especially given his £17million price tag.
However not only has the centre-back been an sensation in the Premier League ever since featuring in the division regularly, he was head and shoulders above any Magpies player during Saturday’s clash.
Maguire, who earns £40,000-a-week at the King Power Stadium (Source: Spotrac), scored the second goal of the Foxes’ 2-0 win over Rafa Benitez’s side and was an absolutely rock at the back as he didn’t give the Magpies any opportunities to have a clear-cut chance at goal.
This was especially the case when Magpies attacker Joselu was bursting through on goal in order to have a very good chance of scoring, only to have the ball robbed off him at the last-minute by Maguire.
Maguire’s sensational performance on Saturday against the Magpies in a game where hardly any member of Benitez’s squad could argue why they impressed, highlighted what a blunder it was by the club not to sign him.
Especially given that the main reason reported for the failed pursuit was that he was dubbed not good enough as given that his value has no doubt soared since and he is among the best centre-backs in the league, then clearly the assessment of the player’s potential was painfully wrong.
This all means that following Maguire’s continued success and Benitez side’s current struggles then the Mail’s report about the club’s failed pursuit of him has just highlighted another blunder by the Magpies.
