Rangnick, Ronaldo and Maguire have had conversations about Maguire relinquishing the armband for the rest of the season, to take pressure off him as he wrestles with his own loss of form. But Maguire is reluctant, for fear of losing it permanently.
There is now a growing belief within the Old Trafford dressing-room that it is inevitable Ronaldo will replace Maguire as captain.
Maguire is said to feel marginalised in terms of his authority within the United dressing-room, leading to him thinking some of the players are losing respect for him.
Some of the younger players are said to be conflicted by the situation, feeling they should remain loyal to Maguire, as captain, despite Ronaldo's huge presence and influence within the dressing-room.
Although Ronaldo has steadfastly backed Maguire as captain and urged the Manchester United players to get behind him, sources claim that vocal support is said to have lessened in recent weeks.
[DiscoMirror]
By Dauda Mohammed/remedynewshub.com