Don’t ask whether Manchester United are right to stall on spending £90million, a world record transfer fee for a defender, to sign Harry Maguire. Instead, we should ask whether the England centre back moving to Old Trafford from his current club Leicester City would truly transport his football and his career to a higher level. Why leave a stable club that more recently won the Premier League title to join a team once again scrambling around in summer disarray? Why leave a team with a proven high-class manager in Brendan Rodgers to join a club taking a sentimental stroll to nowhere with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer?

Why take such a risk with the critical transfer move of his life? If the classy and admirable Chieftain Tank defender of English football isn’t asking himself those questions, he really should be. There are many observers of the game, myself among them, who believe that Leicester are likely to be a superior team to Manchester United in the new season, one that will play better football and finish higher in the table. If the serious offers for Maguire arrived from Manchester City or Tottenham or Bayern Munich that would be another matter. They would represent a sensible move for a 26-year-old player of intense ambition.

Harry Maguire must snub Manchester United: Leicester will be superior team this season

Harry Maguire must snub Manchester United: Leicester will be superior team this season

Right now, you can’t say this with conviction about United. Many of their best players would rather be elsewhere - whether the agitation to leave is as marked as it feels with Paul Pogba, or more circumspect, as in the case of Victor Lindelof flattered by interest from Barcelona. The transfer targets are mostly underwhelming. Sean Longstaff, for example, is a young midfielder of potential who impressed in eight matches for Newcastle last season and has been the subject of a reported £25million offer by United. That is crazy money. For confirmation, look at the highly respected European website ‘transfermarkt’ which gives independent valuations of players. They reckon Longstaff is a £7m footballer. Newcastle have added to the insanity by apparently putting a £50million price tag on the rookie. United have demurred, just as they have with an extortionate £90m fee for Maguire.

Solskjaer is stuck in the middle of the madness. “We’re Manchester United, we don’t have to sell and don’t have to overpay,” said the manager. “You have to have the right players at the right price.” His words are wise, but they do not reflect the reality of United’s situation. They have been overpaying transfer fees and wages for several years now, and the desperation only grows when the UEFA official club rankings have them down in a miserable 18th position behind even Shakhtar Donetsk and Porto. What can Manchester United offer to tempt players to join them? Once upon a time it was high prestige and the likelihood of challenging hard for the big trophies every year.

Harry Maguire must snub Manchester United: Leicester will be superior team this season

Harry Maguire must snub Manchester United: Leicester will be superior team this season