‘Maguire at £80m was cheap for Man Utd’ – Brown salutes record-breaker & fellow new boy Wan-Bissaka

Harry Maguire’s record-breaking £80 million ($104m) transfer fee could be considered “quite cheap nowadays”, says Wes Brown, with Manchester United finding value in big-money additions.

The Red Devils invested heavily again during the summer of 2019.

They only brought in three players, but cash was splashed when doing deals for Daniel James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Maguire.

Brown has been impressed by the new boys at Old Trafford and considers them to have raised the collective standard.

The former United defender told Sky Sports of England international centre-half Maguire and the price tag he arrived in Manchester with: “I actually think it seems quite cheap nowadays.

“I think he's brought a calmness to the whole defence. He's still relatively young, but he's very experienced already. He has an awareness about him and he's very good on his positioning.

“There are games where you don't really notice him, but that's just because he's doing his job. He's winning his headers, he's laying it off. We're more solid with him at the back.

“He gives you a kind of, 'we can do this' attitude and that's especially true when he has been playing with Victor Lindelof. They have complimented each other well.

“Sometimes it can take time to figure out which players work with which players, but those two have formed a good partnership.”

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Maguire has settled quickly in new surroundings and taken the captain’s armband under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Wan-Bissaka has also impressed since linking up with United, with the 22-year-old looking to be a shrewd addition even at £50m ($65m).

“What else can you say about Aaron Wan-Bissaka?” added Brown.

“I've not really seen many like him and that's the honest truth. Defensively, in one-on-ones, he's definitely one of the best I've ever seen.

“He's settled in so well and I don't think there are many players who have got past him this season.

“Yes, there are times when he has made mistakes, like when he dived in to concede the penalty against Watford, but he has learned from them. Since that game, he has just gone back to his normal level.

“The errors will happen every now and again - they happen to all players - but he's just got straight back into it and that's a good sign.

“It's at the point now where, whenever he comes up against someone in a one-on-one scenario, you're more than confident that he will end up winning the ball or clearing it. That shows his confidence as well as his ability.

“That, really, is all you can ask for in a right-back defender.”

United will be looking for Maguire and Wan-Bissaka to shine again when they return to Premier League action on Sunday with a trip to old adversaries Liverpool.