2 years ago
After Harry Maguire adds credibility to Cristiano Ronaldo's rift, David de Gea makes a telling move.
With his social media activity on Wednesday, Harry Maguire added to speculation that things aren't going well between him and Manchester United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo.
After Manchester United captain Harry Maguire escalated his tensions with teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, David de Gea appears to have nailed his colors to the mast.
On Wednesday, Maguire's Instagram account was one of 25,000 that 'liked' an Instagram post claiming Ronaldo is dissatisfied with the state of play at Old Trafford. The Portugal captain, 37, is said to be dissatisfied with having to take a pay cut after the Red Devils failed to qualify for the Champions League.
Maguire's online activity - which he has since 'unliked' - comes after his rift with Ronaldo became public during the second half of last season. According to Mirror Sport, the England defender, 29, and the five-time Ballon d'Or winner got into an argument over the captain's armband.
Maguire was said to have felt undermined by Ronaldo's leadership role in the dressing room, and the saga caused a major headache for then-interim manager Ralf Rangnick. The centre-'liking' back's of the Instagram post in midweek will only heighten fears that a major schism exists between him and his superstar teammate.
Later that day, Maguire was photographed watching England's Lionesses play Austria in the opening game of Women's Euro 2022 at Old Trafford. United goalkeeper David De Gea sat alongside the former Leicester City player.
This suggests that Maguire still has important allies in the Red Devils squad, as the Spaniard, 31, is regarded as a senior figure who many look up to. De Gea has also been mentioned as a potential United captain if new manager Erik ten Hag decides to make a leadership change.
Ten Hag said of Maguire during his introductory press conference in June: "I'll say it again: next season will be different. He did an excellent job, and he is a fantastic player, in my opinion. He's already accomplished a lot. A valuable contribution to Manchester United. So I'm looking forward to working with him."
De Gea and Maguire have been teammates at Old Trafford since the latter joined for £80 million from Leicester in 2019, setting a world record for a defender transfer fee. Meanwhile, Ronaldo began his second stint with the Red Devils in a £20 million switch from Juventus last summer.
His time at United may be coming to an end, as he made a shock transfer request to leave the club in early July.
Total Comments: 0