Manchester United star Harry Maguire is set to hold key talks with Erik ten Hag regarding his position as captain at Old Trafford.
The England defender endured a woeful campaign last time out, struggling on the pitch during a poor season for the club as a whole. The 2021/22 campaign was the Red Devils’ worst in the Premier League from a points perspective as they finished sixth and missed out on Champions League football.
Mistakes littered Maguire’s game, with some supporters even calling into question his position as captain. In a bid to retain his role, the former Leicester man - who cost United £80million - will hold talks with Ten Hag, having not yet had the chance to meet the club’s new head coach.
Maguire is currently on international duty with the England national team but will sit down for discussions with the Dutchman once he returns for pre-season training. Ten Hag is expected to recall his squad on June 27 for fitness testing but Maguire is among a group of international players who will be granted a grace period to recuperate following a lengthy campaign for club and country.
It remains to be seen what the outcome of the talks between the pair will be but Maguire is thought to be desperate to retain the role he has held since January 2020 - only a few months after his switch to United made him the most expensive defender in world football.
Should the new United boss elect to make a switch, then the likes of Bruno Fernandes, David de Gea and Raphael Varane are viable options to claim the armband from Maguire. Intriguingly, Ten Hag has already given his verdict on Maguire’s position, praising the defender for his showings at Old Trafford in the past despite recognising his somewhat poor form over the past 12 months.
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“I have to repeat: next season is a different season. I think he did a great job, he is a great player,” Ten Hag said of Maguire in his introductory press conference. “He achieved already a lot. A really good contribution to Manchester United. So I am looking forward to working with him.”
Maguire - a 44-cap England international - made 37 appearances in all competitions last season, with a number of injuries disrupting his campaign at Old Trafford. He recognised that he will always be under the spotlight at United considering his position but remained bullish over his own ability.
Reflecting on his own form, he said: "This season I've had some bad games, but I wouldn't be playing every game for Manchester United in the starting 11 if I'd been playing bad every game. There's a reason why both managers have put me in the starting 11 every game.
"It's what I bring to the team, what I bring to the starting 11 , but I do also understand that I'm the captain of this club, I cost a lot of money and when things aren't going well and we're conceding too many goals, I'm going to get criticised."
