In Manchester United's recent match against Aston Villa, Harry Maguire was only brought on in the 86th minute to replace Marcel Sabitzer. Fans were quick to notice that the captain's armband was not handed over to Maguire by Bruno Fernandes when he entered the field. Instead, the Portuguese midfielder continued to wear it until the final whistle.
Maguire's captaincy has been in question for a while now due to his lack of form. Even coach Erik ten Hag recently affirmed that Fernandes is the leader on the field of the team. Cristiano Ronaldo even requested to be the captain instead of Maguire, but the request was denied by interim coach Ralf Rangnick.
Under Ten Hag's leadership, Maguire has only been the captain in name and has spent most of his time on the bench. In contrast, Fernandes has consistently been given the honor of carrying the captain's armband.
Fernandes' leadership role was clearly demonstrated in the FA Cup semi-final penalty shootout, where he called on his teammates to encourage morale while Maguire stood with his arms crossed in another place.
According to Daily Mail reports, Manchester United is ready to sell Maguire at a loss in the upcoming summer transfer window. The coaching staff has lost faith in the former Leicester player and wants to clear the way to welcome a more suitable addition to the team.
