"That is absolutely rubbish" - Paul Parker claims Manchester United star's friendship with Harry Kane won't get him a move to Tottenham

Former Manchester United defender Paul Parker has opined that Tottenham Hotspur will not sign Red Devils star Harry Maguire just because he is friends with Harry Kane.

Maguire joined the Old Trafford outfit from Leicester City for an astronomical sum of £80 million in 2019. He was handed the captain's armband within six months of his arrival. The defender also played 144 appearances across competitions in his first three seasons in Manchester.

However, the England international fell down the pecking order after Erik ten Hag took the reins at Manchester United last summer. The tactician handed the centre-back only 16 starts across competitions in the recently concluded season.

Maguire, 30, has thus been linked with a move away from Old Trafford this summer despite having a contract until 2025. Tottenham Hotspur have been credited with an interest in the centre-back.

According to The Daily Telegraph, Spurs could sign Maguire in a bid to keep Harry Kane at the club. The striker shares a close relationship with the Manchester United captain and has previously recommended him to the north London giants.

However, Parker reckons new Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou will have no desire to sign Maguire. The former Red Devils defender added that the Englishman's friendship with Kane will not get him a move to Spurs.

"Tottenham has got a new manager and I don’t think he wants Maguire," Parker told Bonus Code Bets. "The story about Harry Kane and Harry Maguire's friendship doesn’t mean anything. I should have said, when I was playing, that I was best friends with Diego Maradona and then I could have got a move to Napoli."

Parker continued:

"If a friendship is a reason why he wants to go to Tottenham, that is absolutely rubbish. Tottenham needs a centre-half that is better than Eric Dier and that’s not Harry Maguire. They might be on the same level but as a club, you won’t achieve anything with either of them."

Apart from Tottenham, Newcastle United and Aston Villa have also been linked with a move for Maguire.

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Manchester United tipped to sign Napoli's Kim Min-jae

Regardless of where Harry Maguire's future lies, Manchester United are looking to bring in a new centre-back this summer. They have been heavily linked with a move for Napoli's Kim Min-jae.

The Red Devils have reportedly been in talks with the South Korea international's entourage for a while and have already agreed personal terms.

Kim has a £51.3 million (€60 million) release clause in his contract with Napoli, which will be active from July 1-15. Erik ten Hag's side intend to trigger the clause as soon as it becomes active, as per reports.

The defender joined Napoli from Turkish club Fenerbahce for around £15.5 million last summer. He made 45 appearances across competitions for the Naples outfit and helped them win Serie A.