Harry Maguire has once again been told that his role as Manchester United captain is under threat following the Red Devils’ £57m capture of Lisandro Martinez.
The Argentine officially swapped Amsterdam for Manchester on Wednesday, completing a move from Ajax to be reunited with former boss Erik ten Hag. His arrival adds to the defensive options that the Red Devils’ boss has at Old Trafford and becomes the latest in a long line of centre-back signings over recent seasons.
Maguire himself was only recruited in the summer of 2019 for a huge £80m fee, whilst the club also made a move for Raphael Varane from Real Madrid 12 months ago. That vast expenditure did not benefit United at all with the Red Devils - and Maguire in particular - enduring poor seasons.
It eventually got so shaky for the England star that his position as captain at Old Trafford was called into question - something that has already been refuted with Ten Hag leaving the armband with Maguire. Former Liverpool man Mark Lawrenson has however suggested that the defender will still be looking over his shoulder, particularly with the arrival of Martinez.
Speaking with Paddy Power, he said: "Club captain used to mean that you were captain of the club, not necessarily team captain. Harry Maguire is a good player, but like a lot of them last year, he had a really poor season.
“His problem is that he’s a good footballer, but he is just a bit slow - you can't really make yourself any faster, unfortunately! I don't know whether it'll be him leading the team every week. In all honesty, I would watch this space.”
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United’s business is not expected to stop there amid ongoing links with the likes of another Ajax star in the form of Antony, as well as Benjamin Sesko. Lawrenson has suggested that the Old Trafford dressing room was in dire need of a refresh and has praised Ten Hag for his dealings in the transfer window so far.
He continued: “Ten Hag is obviously still buying players. You can understand what he's doing - he's buying players that he knows, and also players that good in the dressing room. Last year, United's dressing room was all over the place. There were players there that knew they were leaving at the end of the season. They knew also that the interim manager was leaving, and it was just a complete mess.”
The Dutchman’s decisions appear to have paid off thus far with the Red Devils having gone undefeated in pre-season. They face two more friendlies - both against Spanish sides Rayo Vallecano and Atletico Madrid before the Premier League kicks off.
