Harry Maguire looks set to sign for Manchester United in the coming days for a rumoured £85 million, making the Leicester man the most expensive defender in the world.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side will be paying a premium fee for the England international, while Leicester will make a huge profit on the 26-year-old who signed from Hull City for £17 million two years ago.
The price of defenders has soared in recent years, with a variety of deals across Europe creeping into the top 10.
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Liverpool's Virgil Van Dijk had previously held the record following his £75 million move from Southampton in January 2018.
The Dutchman has been revolutionary in the Anfield back-line, helping The Reds to two Champions League finals in two years with the latter resulting in a 2-0 victory over Tottenham back in June.
Currently, the most expensive defenders of all time are:
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Harry Maguire (Manchester United): £85 million
Virgil Van Djik (Liverpool): £75 million
Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich): £70 million
Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus): £67.5 million
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Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City): £57 million
Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City): £52 million
Kyle Walker (Manchester City): £50 million
Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Manchester United): £50 million
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David Luiz (Chelsea to PSG): £50 million
John Stones (Manchester City): £47.5 million
Hernandez and de Ligt have joined their respective clubs this summer so the pair will look to prove their worth once the season gets underway.
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Interestingly, over half of the list is made up from United and rivals Manchester City, with City boasting four slots and United two.
In addition, all ten transfers have happened in the last five years, the earliest being David Luiz's switch to PSG back in 2014.
Pep Guardiola spent his second summer transfer window at the Etihad by recruiting Benjamin Mendy and Kyle Walker for a combined total of £102 million.
While Walker played a key role in City's five trophy haul over the last two years, it has been a different story for Mendy.
The Frenchman's time in Manchester has been rife with injury, with his off-field antics also drawing criticism from fans and occasionally even his manager.
On the other side of Manchester, Maguire will be partnering with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who the Red Devils signed from Crystal Palace in June.
The England U-21 international has impressed in pre-season, with his tackling ability being on full show.
Which of these defenders do you think has been or will be best value for money? Sound off in the comments below.
Words by Daniel Marland.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Harry Maguire, Football News, Football, Transfers, Premier League
