Leicester 'agree £45m deal for Maguire replacement' to pave way for Man Utd move

Leicester City have reportedly agreed a £45 million deal to sign Brighton and Hove Albion defender Lewis Dunk as a replacement for Harry Maguire.

England international Maguire is expected to leave the Foxes this summer after attracting significant interest from Manchester United.

And the Sun reports that Leicester are set to replace their star man with Dunk after reaching an agreement with Brighton.

According to the publication, Brendan Rodgers had also been considering an approach for Burnley defender James Tarkowski but has decided to pursue the 27-year-old Seagulls centre-back.

With the exception with a loan spell with Bristol City in 2013, Dunk has spent his entire career with Brighton.

Following his debut in 2010, the defender has gone on to make 270 appearances for the Seagulls and featured regularly since the club's return to the top flight in 2017.

He made 36 appearances in the Premier League last season as he helped the club to avoid relegation under Chris Hughton.

His performances also earned him a call-up to Gareth Southgate's England squad and he made his only international appearance in a friendly against the USA in November 2018.

Dunk's displays have caught the eye of Rodgers and he could now join Youri Tielemans in the manager's squad for the coming season, while Maguire's future remains uncertain.

The 26-year-old is thought to be moving closer to a move to Old Trafford and the Sun reported on Sunday that a world-record £80m fee had been agreed between the two clubs.

According to the publication, the England international is expected to have a medical on Monday ahead of a deal that will see United pay £60m up front, and a further £20m in add-ons.

However, sources at Manchester United claim that a deal is still yet to be agreed with Leicester.