PREMIER LEAGUE
Harry Maguire to lose armband: who will be the next Manchester United captain?
The 30-year-old defender cost £80m when he joined in 2019 but has fallen down the Old Trafford pecking order under Erik ten Hag.
Manchester United captain Harry Maguire is set to lose the armband this summer as Erik ten Hag looks to move on from the 30-year-old.
Maguire started just one of Manchester United’s final eight games of the Premier League in 2022/23, the final day dead rubber against Fulham. The Englishman has never managed to replicate his international form at Old Trafford and Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez have cemented their places in Ten Hag’s starting XI.
Reports from England suggest that Maguire, who retained the armband throughout Erik ten Hag’s first season, will be replaced as captain this summer.
Who will be the next Man Utd captain?
Given that Maguire started just eight Premier League games across 2022/23, the armband has been given to other members of the team on numerous occasions.
The most common replacement for Maguire was Bruno Fernandes. The 28-year-old midfielder has established himself as a guaranteed starter for Ten Hag and has been one of the top performers during his time at the club.
The Mirror reports that Bruno Fernandes will be named as the Manchester United club captain for 2023/24. He has previously worn the armband for Portuguese side Sporting CP.
Where will Harry Maguire go?
After four years at the club Harry Maguire no longer appears to be part of plans at Old Trafford. When Lisandro Martinez was injured for the final months of last season Victor Lindelof, and even left-back Luke Shaw, were preferred to Maguire in the heart of defence.
Maguire has been linked with a move to fellow Premier League sides Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur. However the 30-year-old’s salary could make a deal this summer difficult.
Qualification for the Champions League ensured salary increases for members of United’s squad, meaning that Maguire will likely lose a significant amount if he leaves Old Trafford this summer.
He will have to weigh up the value of first team football, something that could affect his position within the England team, against the salary that he stands to receive from Manchester United.