Or it could be utter nonsense. Are you saying that if Leicester accepted £70m, United would have taken £50m for Lukaku? A £25m + whatever bonuses may have been paid loss on their second highest ever signing, making Ed look an utter pillock in the process?
Maybe the Maguire signing is taking longer because Leicester don't want to sell him, have stacks of cash and it's a really difficult deal to complete.
Lukaku openly spoke about his exit and his admiration of conte/Inter on 11 JUN, our bid for maguire was rejected 2/JUL. From that moment on, nothing has happened with maguire because nothing progressed with lukaku (if this logic holds).
Lukaku openly talking about an exit to the press also suggests a deal was further along and thus talks started earlier than he 11/JUN. Which would then suggest our real bid for maguire came close to a month after lukaku's exit talks were started.
If you want to talk about Woodward looking like a pillock, he spent more money on Fellaini on deadine day then a deal for Fellaini and Baines would have cost earlier in the window. So i'm happy for woodward to be classed as a pillock An initial bid for Maguire could well have been offered off the back of knowing a minimum amount for lukaku would be 50m.