On July 17, Harry Maguire said that Manchester United manager Eric Ten Hag has sacked him as captain. Harry Maguire, who was appointed captain by former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in January 2020, will continue to give his best for the team, although the England centre-back said he was "very disappointed". Manchester United officials have said Ten Hag will announce the new captain after informing the players in due course, so it is unlikely that the new captain will be confirmed before United arrive in New York for pre-season. "Manchester United thank Harry for his contribution as captain over the last three and a half years," the club added. Last season, Maguire made 31 appearances in all 62 games the team played, while Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes captained in his absence. Maguire's current contract at Old Trafford runs until 2025.
"After today's discussion with the manager (Ten Hag), he told me he was changing the captain," Maguire wrote on social media. "He made his case clear to me and although I am personally very disappointed, I will continue to give it my all after every shirt. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the Manchester United fans for their excellent support during my time as captain. From the day I took on this role three and a half years ago, it has been a huge honour to lead Manchester United and one of the proudest moments of my career so far. I did everything I could to help Manchester United succeed, both on and off the pitch. I will always be grateful to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for giving me this responsibility for the first time and wish my successor every success. ”
Last season, Rafael Varane and Lisandro Martinez were given more chances in United's defence, while when Martinez was injured, Viktor Lindelof served as his backup. England left-back Luke Shaw also played as a centre-back on several occasions under Ten Hag's arrangement. The 30-year-old made just eight Premier League appearances last season and there are rumours he could move to West Ham United. Former Manchester United boss David Moyes is keen to bolster his West Ham side as captain Declan Rice has been transferred to Arsenal, with Moyes interested in Ajax's Mexican midfielder Edson Alvarez, who could be a replacement for Rice, while Harry Maguire could be a useful addition at the backline, as West Ham United's preferred centre-backs Kurt Zuma and Naeed Agrd both suffered injuries last season.