Harry Maguire a 'very different type of leader' to Bruno Fernandes at Man Utd | OneFootball

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has been a “very good leader” of the side behind the scenes at Old Trafford, as journalist Dean Jones compares his influence to that of current captain Bruno Fernandes.

Erik ten Hag’s Red Devils side have endured a tumultuous start to the 2023/24 campaign, having struggled to maintain momentum in the Premier League and finding themselves knocked out of the Champions League and European football entirely before the new year.

Man Utd have struggled to get going on the pitch and look to have lacked a coherent plan in the wake of injuries and players being badly out of form in recent months. Ten Hag will hope he is continued to be backed following the imminent confirmation of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s minority share in the Manchester giants.

Maguire’s recent turnaround at Man Utd

During the 2023 summer transfer window, it looked as though Maguire’s career at Manchester United was ending. In August 2019, the Red Devils agreed an £80m fee with Leicester City for the transfer of the 30-year-old to Old Trafford, then a world-record deal to sign a defender.

However, Maguire has found life challenging in Manchester despite being made captain following Ashley Young’s departure for Inter in January 2020. But ten Hag’s arrival coincided with the England international being dropped from the starting lineup at Old Trafford.

During the summer of 2023, Maguire confirmed he had been stripped of the captaincy, with the armband handed over to Fernandes. This looked to be the final nail in the coffin for the former Leicester man, who was finding minutes challenging to come by under ten Hag.

In August, West Ham United’s £30m deal to sign Maguire from Manchester United fell through, with the centre-back remaining at Old Trafford beyond the summer transfer window. The following month, the 6 foot 4 colossus was criticised after scoring an own goal in England’s 3-1 international friendly victory over Scotland, with his mother coming out to defend him on social media.

However, injuries to Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez have allowed Maguire to stake his claim to become a regular in ten Hag’s backline. Jones has recently told GIVEMESPORT (9th December) that Maguire is on course to become Man Utd’s Player of the Season, having been one of the standout players in a struggling Red Devils side.

Dean Jones on Harry Maguire

Jones hears that Maguire is good at bringing the Man Utd squad together behind the scenes, with Fernandes being a “very different type of leader.” The journalist claims that the two players will be judged differently based on their roles on the pitch. Jones told GIVEMESPORT:

With the 2023 winter transfer window just over two weeks away from opening, ten Hag will consider what areas he needs to bolster and trim his squad. According to The Athletic, centre-back Raphael Varane is at risk of leaving Manchester United for free in the summer of 2024, with his contract expiring a year earlier than initially publicised.

The Frenchman’s deal at Old Trafford concludes at the end of the current season, with the option of an additional year. However, Man Utd will have to open talks sooner rather than later to avoid this, with Varane free to negotiate a pre-contract deal with clubs from abroad in January.

Meanwhile, talkSPORT claims several European outfits, including FC Barcelona, are tracking Mason Greenwood. The 22-year-old currently plies his trade for Getafe on loan from Man Utd after the club confirmed his future lies away from Old Trafford after being accused of various accounts of assault, which were eventually dropped in February 2023.

Man Utd travel to West Ham United on the 23rd, hoping to sustain positive momentum heading into the new year. United then welcome high-flying Aston Villa to Old Trafford on Boxing Day before closing out 2023 at The City Ground when they face under-pressure Steve Cooper’s Nottingham Forest.