England defender, Harry Maguire, has been stripped of the Manchester United captaincy by the club’s manager, Erik ten Hag.
Maguire, who was signed by United in an £80 million deal from Leicester City in 2019, lost his place in the team during Ten Hag’s first season in charge at Old Trafford.
The 30-year-old defender started just eight games in the Premier League last term, with Ten Hag preferring Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez as his centre-back pairing when available.
Ten Hag has now decided that Maguire will no longer remain as the team’s captain, a decision which has left the England international “extremely disappointed”.
Portugal midfielder, Bruno Fernandes, who captained United on several occasions in Maguire’s absence last season, is favourite to take the armband on a permanent basis.
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Maguire, in a statement on Sunday, said: “After discussions with the manager today he has informed me he is changing captain. He outlined his reasons to me and whilst I’m personally extremely disappointed, I will continue to give my all every time I wear the shirt.
“So I wanted to say a massive thank you to the Manchester United fans for all their brilliant support whilst I’ve been wearing the armband.
“Since the day I took on the role, three and half years ago, it’s been a huge privilege to lead Manchester United and one of the proudest moments of my career to date. It’s one of the greatest honours in club football. I’ve done everything I possibly could to help United be successful – on and off the field.
“I will always be grateful to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for first giving me the responsibility and I wish whoever now takes it on every success and they will have my full support.”
Maguire has been heavily linked with a move away from United this summer with West Ham among the clubs interested in a deal for the defender.
It’s understood that United would be willing to sell Maguire, who remains the world’s most-expensive defender of all time, for a £40 million fee.
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