5 Man Utd captain candidates after Maguire's 'upset' teammates hold private chat

Harry Maguire has reportedly 'upset' his teammates by publicly blaming them for mistakes prompting calls for the Manchester United skipper to be dropped.

The England international is the subject of another dressing room fallout as the defender's future at Old Trafford comes under pressure.

The Times reports that several members of the Red Devils camp feel Maguire should be dropped due to his performance levels.

Maguire has 'upset' a number of teammates this season, according to the Daily Mail, by calling them out for individual mistakes on the pitch, as well as his critical post-match comments to the media.

United are said to be on the lookout for a 'world class' centre-half in the summer as a result of the disharmony in the changing room.

Maguire's captaincy is also under threat after Mirror Sport revealed last month how he and Cristiano Ronaldo are currently embroiled in a power struggle over the armband.

With the centre-half in jeopardy of losing the captaincy - here are five players who could be named his successor.

HAVE YOUR SAY! Does Ronaldo have too much influence in the Man Utd dressing room? Comment below

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is the most obvious choice given his influence in the dressing room.

Rangnick has asked Ronaldo to mentor the younger players within the squad which Maguire felt undermined by.

Ronaldo has positioned himself as the one setting the example for Jadon Sancho, Scott McTominay and Marcus Rashford

This has left the young core in a tricky situation as some feel they should remain loyal to their skipper, despite Ronaldo's presence within the dressing room.

But there is a growing belief that Ronaldo will replace Maguire as skipper with the Portugal star taking on a more authoritative role.

David de Gea

David de Gea is another standout candidate to replace Maguire as skipper given his level of experience and how long he's served the club.

The Spanish keeper is at the peak of his powers once again after a difficult few years for United and has been their best player this season by a long stretch.

The former Atletico Madrid man automatically commands respect from the United squad for the way he leads by example on the pitch.

But it's believed he has grown into a more vocal leader in the dressing room in recent seasons.

Raphael Varane

Raphael Varane hasn't enjoyed the smoothest of debut seasons at United but he is coming out the other end in style as he closes the campaign in fine form.

A centre-half might not have been at the club for as long as the other candidates, but the position he plays and his decorated CV puts him firmly in the frame.

United's defence has been disastrous this season, especially when Varane is out of the team, which isn't a great indictment of Maguire as captain.

And the defender is the perfect player to provide some stability and organisation to their backline, especially with a new centre-half potentially arriving to play alongside him.

Scott McTominay

Scott McTominay has been touted as a future United captain, but perhaps taking the armband now would come too soon for the Scotland international.

The midfielder has been one of the club's silver linings this season and has emerged as one of the first players on the teamsheet

McTominay's passion and commitment to the cause are exactly what United need right now from their captain.

One of Sir Alex Ferguson's favourites, McTominay will come under consideration but it's still probably a long shot. Don't rule out it happening further down the line, however.

Marcus Rashford

Marcus Rashford has become a leader for Man United on and off the pitch with his meteoric rise through the academy ranks.

The England striker has been given the armband before which automatically puts him in the mix if there is a captaincy change.

It seems a natural fit too as he has taken on a more authoritative role.

Rashford's form, like Maguire, has taken a hit this season which would be United's only concern, but there's no doubt his talent and work ethic will eventually shine through.

Rashford is in it for the long haul and United might want to invest in their rising star by giving him the armband.