Manchester United defender, Harry Maguire, is reportedly set to be stripped of the captaincy this week after falling down the pecking order under Erik ten Hag.
The England international succeeded Ashley Young as the Red Devils’ captain in January 2020, being bestowed with the armband by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
However, Maguire’s fortunes have taken a nosedive under Ten Hag, who quickly demoted his skipper to a bit-part role for the 2022-23 season amid fierce criticism of his displays.
Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw were all preferred to Maguire at the back, and Bruno Fernandes would normally wear the armband in his absence.
Nevertheless, the former Leicester City man retained his status as captain throughout the 2022-23 season, but an exit this summer has been strongly mooted given his lack of minutes.
England boss, Gareth Southgate, has continued to select Maguire amid his undesirable club situation, but the Three Lions manager has warned the defender that his spot could come under threat if his playing time does not improve ahead of Euro 2024.
West Ham United, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur have all been linked with moves, but it has been suggested that Maguire is keen to stay and fight for his place at Old Trafford, where he is under contract until 2025.
Man United forked out a whopping £74.3m to prise Maguire away from Leicester in 2019, and the Englishman has since produced seven goals and five assists in 175 matches for the club. —SportsMole
