Man Utd defender Harry Maguire allegedly refused to pay £50,000 bribe to Greek police 'that would make Mykonos assault charge disappear'

Maguire was originally handed a 21-month sentence, but that conviction was quashed on appeal under Greek law. A retrial was delayed on four occasions - initially in May 2023 because the 33-year-old’s defence counsel was unavailable, again in February 2024 due to a lawyers’ strike in Greece, and on two more occasions in March and October 2025.

Maguire - who had been on holiday with eight other people, including his sister, brother and wife, at the time of the alleged assault - is expected to launch an appeal to the Greek Supreme Court after one judge found him not guilty and two others delivered guilty verdicts. He has branded the latest ruling “a shambles”.

While continuing with a bid to clear his name, The Sun reports that Maguire has been told that a payment of £50,000 would settle the case, with a source claiming that “lawyers for undercover cops involved in the late-night confrontation” have “repeatedly offered the out-of-court deal”.

The Sun’s insider claims that: “They offered to make it disappear if he paid £50,000. He would rather be found guilty than pay a bribe. No apology or payment will ever be made and Harry will clear his name. He won’t stop fighting until that happens and will go to the Supreme Court if he needs to.”

They went on to say: “This has always been about paying money. He hasn’t paid a single penny and he never will. He stuck to his guns and his values and won’t budge. For six years they have repeatedly told us that this can be dealt with if he pays £50,000. The reason it’s gone this far is because Harry won’t do it. All will be revealed in his upcoming documentary.”

While questioning Greek authorities, The Sun’s source said: “The translated statements from police were primary school standard. It was pure guesswork just to figure out what they said had happened.”

Maguire spent two nights in police custody following the incident that occurred on a night out on the island of Mykonos. His lawyers claim that two men injected his sister, Daisy, with an unknown substance that caused her to faint.

Maguire told the BBC in 2020: “Two men approached my little sister. They asked her where she was from and she responded. My fiancee Fern saw my little sister's eyes going to the back of her head. She was fainting. She was in and out of consciousness.”

His defence team have since stated that when Maguire and his group of family and friends called for transport to take Daisy to a nearby hospital, they were instead driven to a police station and allegedly assaulted by plain-clothed officers.

Maguire said of that saga: “My initial thought was we were getting kidnapped. We got down on our knees. We put our hands in the air. They just started hitting us. They were hitting my legs, saying my career was over. No more football: ‘You won't play again.’ At this point, I thought there's no chance. These are police, or I don't know who they are. So I tried to run away. I was in that much of a panic, fear, scared for my life all the way through it.”

Maguire has branded accusations that he pushed over a policeman that tried to handcuff him - causing leg and back injuries - and that he offered to bribe officers as “ridiculous”.

He added on the unfortunate episode: “It was horrible. It's not something I ever want to do again. It's the first time I've ever been inside a prison, and I don't wish it on anybody. I don't feel like I owe an apology to anybody. An apology is when you've done something wrong.

“Do I regret being in the situation? Obviously, the situation has made it difficult, and I play for one of the biggest clubs in the world, so I regret putting the fans and the club through this. But I think it could have happened anywhere. I love Greece. I think footballers get a bit of stick for trying to stay away from everything in the public eye. It's not how I want to live my life.

“I have great faith in the Greek law. A retrial will give us more time to gather the evidence, allow witnesses into the court, and I'm really confident that the truth will be told and come out.”

Maguire was not required to attend the hearing at which his retrial verdict was delivered, with his team of lawyers providing representation. The experienced defender, who is still hoping to make England’s 2026 World Cup squad, was instead readying himself for Manchester United’s Premier League clash with Newcastle at St James’ Park - with the Red Devils suffering a 2-1 defeat against the 10-man Magpies.