First things first, it is an eye-watering amount of money, even in this ludicrously inflated transfer market. The stark reality is Manchester United have committed a world record sum for a defender they were offered for just £14 million two summers ago. United passed, Leicester City did not and, boy, has Harry Maguire proved some investment by the east Midlands club.

To put £14m into context - that is less than United spent on Phil Jones in 2011 and Marcos Rojo three years later and marginally more than Chris Smalling in 2010 and, again, raises all manner of questions about the club’s recruitment strategies.

It does not reflect particularly well on Jose Mourinho either, although the former United manager would be within his rights to ask what has changed in 12 months given that his wish to sign Maguire last summer went unfulfilled and the noises coming out of Old Trafford then were that the targets put forward did not represent an upgrade on what the club already had. Not that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will look back ruefully at things which pre-date his arrival as manager, and nor should he.

The hope, of course, for Solskjaer is Maguire’s fee will, in time, come to look like money well spent and it would be no surprise if, in the days ahead, the manager references how many thought Liverpool had taken leave of their senses by spending £75m on Virgil van Dijk last year only for that purchase to now be considered a steal.