Daily Mirror - 24.07.2019

DM1ST

mirror.co.uk/sport WEDNESDAY 24.07.2019 DAILY MIRROR^63

THE MAIN MAN Maguire

is being chased by United

MUSIC TO HIS EARS

Lukaka is hoping to depart

FROM BACK PAGE

looked to be heading back

to Blackpool on loan until

Rafa Benitez handed him

his Premier League debut

at Anfield on Boxing Day.

Old Trafford bosses

believe £30m is a more

realistic price and, with

executive vice-chairman Ed

Woodward staying in

Manchester to oversee

transfer business while

Solskjaer’s squad have

been travelling to Australia

and the Far East, an official

bid is imminent.

It is the first pre-season

tour Woodward has missed

since he became Old

Trafford’s main man in the

summer of 2013.

With two weeks left until

the Premier League season

kicks off and the transfer

United bid

£30m for

Longstaff

I HAD TO LEAVE

CITY TO SAVE

MY CAREER

TO MOVE AWAY FROM ETIHAD

Delph has no hard feelings about his time

with Pep, but is loving starting again at

Everton to rescue his England prospects

working hard, working

towards the same goal and,

if something is wrong, I

think it’s only right you voice

it rather than going into

your shell and not speaking

about it.”

The pessimists among

Evertonians fear Delph has

been signed as Idrissa

Gueye’s replacement – and

the Senegal midfielder’s

starring role at the Africa

Cup of Nations will have

added to his appeal.

But Everton have not had

any new bids for Gueye

(left) since Paris Saint-

Germain’s failed attempt in

January and Delph hopes

they can play together.

“I’ve played against him

numerous times, he’s a

fantastic player and I would

love to be playing with him,

so, hopefully, he stays,” said

Delph.

He is also relishing the

prospect of Goodison Park

support after years of being

abused by Toffees fans.

“This is a fantastic club,”

he said, smiling.

“It’s always been one of

my favourite stadiums to

play at, the fans being right

on top of you.

“It’s a very hostile place to

play and it’ll be nice to have

them behind me rather than

jumping down my throat.”

mind and featured on

Amazon Pride’s All or

Nothing documentary

about City, swearing as he

laid into his team-mates

after their defeat to

Manchester United in April

2018.

Delph admits he was

embarrassed by his

l a n g u a g e ,

but says he

will be just

as vocal in

the Everton

dressing

room.

It is one of

the reasons

why Everton

signed him

and they

need leaders

after the

departure of

club captain

Phil Jagielka.

“I’ve not

watched it

and I don’t like watching

myself effing and blinding,”

he said. “I’ve got young kids

that are probably going to

end up seeing that.

“I’ve been vocal since I

was 18 at Leeds United. I’ve

always been quite emotional

because I really don’t like

losing.

“I want everybody,

including myself, to be

at the same time, I’ve got to

look forward and I need to

play more regularly.

“I’d done four years and it

was the right time to leave.

“I wanted a new

challenge, I wanted to play

more football, to play more

regularly... and this is a great

challenge.

“Playing for

England is

massive for me,

it’s something

which is really

important, so, if

I’m playing more

regularly, there’s

more chance of

me being

selected.”

Delph did not

make a Premier

League start

after being sent

off in City’s

Boxing Day

defeat at

Leicester, but

insists he had no issue with

Guardiola and that the

Blues manager wished him

well when he left.

At 29 and with 20 England

caps to his name, Delph

could prove to be the best

deal of the summer transfer

window – and he wants to

be a leader for Everton.

As a typical Yorkshireman,

he is not afraid to speak his

FABIAN DELPH insists

Pep Guardiola did not

drive him out of

Manchester City and

that it was his decision

to go.

Delph is loving life at

Everton since joining last

week for just £8.5million.

And the England

midfielder revealed he

made up his mind to leave

because he wanted to play

more regularly to boost

his Three Lions

prospects.

Although Delph played

in England’s two Nations

League matches in June, he

knows he will need more

game time next season to

hang on to his place ahead

of Euro 2020.

“I wasn’t told to leave, I

could have stayed there,”

said Delph, who won two

Premier League titles

with City. “They were

happy with me and I

played a key role

within that squad.

“I had a fantastic

four years at City, I

thoroughly enjoyed

it. I won a lot of

trophies, made a lot

of good friends and

I’m sad to leave, but,

BY DAVID ANDERSON

@MirrorAnderson

in Eng

League

knows

game t

hang on

ofEuro

“I wa

could

said

Pre

wi

h

p

t

o

I’m

I wanted to play

more regularly,

wanted more

football..this is a

great challenge

HAVING A BALL...

Delph challenges fellow Toffees

midfielder Andre Gomes during a

pre-season training camp

window closes, the United

chief wants at least two

more signings to add to the

captures of Bissaka and

Daniel James.

Harry Maguire remains

United’s No.1 target and

they believe a compromise

can be reached after the

Foxes slapped a £90m

valuation on him. They are

looking to land Maguire for

closer to £80m.

The England defender

scored the opener for

Leicester last night in a 3-0

win at Cambridge United.

And United have set Inter

Milan a seven-day deadline

to meet their £75m asking

price for Romelu Lukaku.

Inter’s former Chelsea

coach Antonio Conte is

desperate to take the

Belgian striker to Serie A

and Lukaku wants to switch.

But as Mirror Sport

reported earlier this month,

Old Trafford chiefs are wary

of being stung by the

August 8 transfer deadline.

United will not sanction

the departure of any senior

player unless the deal gives

them ample time to recruit

a replacement.