Manchester United
Premier League • England
‘Perfect’ new Man Utd captain revealed by insider after Ten Hag rocks Maguire with savage decision
Most Manchester United fans will agree that one influential player should be Erik ten Hag’s new captain following news that Harry Maguire has been stripped of the role, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Maguire was named Man Utd skipper in January 2020 by then manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. However, it has ended up being a controversial decision as the centre-back has been guilty of several high-profile mistakes while wearing the iconic Man Utd shirt.
Things went from bad to worse for Maguire under Ten Hag last season, as he could barely get into the starting eleven amid competition for places from Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof.
Due to Maguire’s unreliable performances, plus the fact he is not actually a guaranteed starter, it was revealed on July 9 that Ten Hag would be stripping the Englishman of the armband. If the Dutch coach is to get Man Utd competing for major titles such as the Premier League again, then he needs a top player to lead by example.
On Sunday, Maguire took to social media to confirm that he is no longer Man Utd captain. The defender admitted he is ‘extremely disappointed’ but said he will ‘continue to give my all’ when representing the Red Devils. Maguire added that it has been a ‘huge privilege’ to lead Man Utd.
Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, Marcus Rashford, Martinez and Varane could all now be in contention for the captaincy, given how well respected they are in the dressing room.
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According to talkSPORT and the Manchester Evening News, it is vice-captain Fernandes who looks set to step up and take on the title. And that has now been backed up by Romano.
In an interview with CaughtOffside, the journalist discussed Maguire’s transfer options and also named Fernandes as his ‘perfect’ captaincy replacement.
Fabrizio Romano discusses Harry Maguire future and Man Utd captaincy
“Big news broke yesterday as Harry Maguire is officially no longer the Manchester United captain, so what does this mean for his future at Old Trafford?” Romano said.
“West Ham appreciate Maguire, that’s true and has been the case for a long time; but there’s no concrete negotiation yet with Manchester United. For sure, this captaincy story makes it clear: Manchester United want to find a solution for Maguire to leave the club, so let’s see what happens.
“We await an official announcement on who will replace Maguire, but in my opinion, Bruno Fernandes is the perfect captain for United, and I’m sure many of the club’s fans will agree. Let’s wait and see now what Erik ten Hag will decide.”
West Ham are not the only Prem club to have been linked with Maguire. Indeed, Tottenham and Aston Villa are also thought to be keeping tabs on his situation.
The main problem for all parties is money. As Man Utd paid a whopping £80million for Maguire in 2019, they do not want to lose him on the cheap. But interested clubs are not willing to meet their demands.
It has also been reported that Maguire has been given a pay rise, just like the rest of the Man Utd squad, after they qualified for next season’s Champions League. This pay rise means Maguire is earning far more than what he would receive at West Ham, Spurs or Villa. Some compromises will definitely have to be made if Maguire is to find a new club this summer.
Meanwhile, Monday’s Euro Paper Talk includes Man Utd attempting a daring hijack of an already-agreed transfer.