Paul Pogba's future with Manchester United remains up in the air.

Pogba is out of contract at the end of this season and deferred contract talks with United.

The midfielder is reportedly open to offers with Pogba's agent Mino Raiola shopping him around.

TOP STORY – NEWCASTLE ENTER POGBA PURSUIT

Newcastle United have entered the race to sign Manchester United's Pogba, reports Fichajes.

The Magpies are hoping to land the 28-year-old France international on a free transfer, although it is unclear if he would entertain the move to a club that is currently battling relegation, albeit Newcastle will hope that will be different next season.

Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Juventus have also been linked with Pogba, who could also opt to stay at Old Trafford.

ROUND-UP

- Tottenham's Harry Kane will not decide on his future until the end of the season, after trying to join Manchester City last year, reports The Standard. Kane is currently not interested in discussing a contract extension with Spurs.

- Madrid have tabled a final offer for Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland claims Sport. Haaland has been pursued by several top clubs including PSG, Barcelona, United, Chelsea and Manchester City.

- Marca claims that Barcelona will swoop for Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen should he become a free agent this upcoming off-season.

- The Daily Star claims that Donny van de Beek will push for a permanent move away from Manchester United to Everton if his loan spell goes well.

- Milan are interested in Tottenham winger Steven Bergwijn, reports Calciomercato.

Since Ralf Rangnick took charge at Manchester United, much of the focus on them has revolved around – unsurprisingly – how they press, or don't, for that matter.

Of course, the overriding narrative when he was appointed fixated on how he was the supposed 'godfather of gegenpressing' and would definitely have United pressing more effectively than Liverpool in a matter of weeks…

Okay, there probably weren't many making such grand claims, but the point remains: United's off-the-ball work became the focus.

That meant their rather underwhelming attacking displays went a little unnoticed until Rangnick started talking about their expected goals (xG) after their 1-1 draw with Southampton.

As it turns out, since Rangnick's arrival, United have underperformed their non-penalty xG by 5.5 across all competitions, the worst of any Premier League team in that time. When you do consider spot-kicks, that gap increases to 6.1. Brentford are the second-worst in both metrics (4.31 and 3.67, respectively).

United simply aren't scoring as many goals as they should given the quality of the chances they're creating, but you can spin that into a positive.

Assuming they continue to craft opportunities at a similar rate, they should – in theory – level out with respect to xG. Considering recent meetings with Leeds United and their own woes, could Marcelo Bielsa's men be the tonic they need?

LEEDS LATE TO RIVALRY PARTY

Matches against Man Utd are, in all likelihood, the first games your average Leeds fan will look for when the fixture list is released ahead of the season. While the rivalry may not be as fierce competitively on the pitch as it once was, the two sets of supporters still despise each other.

These rivalry clashes haven't been especially kind to Leeds since their long-awaited return to the Premier League, though.

Over the three games, Leeds haven't won once and trail 11-3 on aggregate, with United demolishing them 6-2 at Old Trafford last season and 5-1 there in August. The 0-0 draw at Elland Road in April last season is as good as it's got – that's also the last time the Red Devils failed to score on the road.

Leeds suffered those two Old Trafford nightmares having previously only conceded five or more goals away to United in all competitions twice in their previous 50 visits.

Further to that, the 6-2 was the first time a Bielsa team had conceded six times in a competition match since he was in charge of Newell's Old Boys in February 1992.

It was also the first occasion United had scored at least six goals since "I'd 8-2 be an Arsenal fan" happened, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men having netted just three times in their previous six home league games.

Of course, last season's clash at Elland Road was the opposite of a goal fest. The main difference this time is that the game won't be behind closed doors, though Leeds weren't quite this defensively feeble then.

LEAKS UNITED

It is worth mentioning that, indeed, Leeds were not as leaky last season, as has been said. But even when they were in good shape, few would consider them among the tightest teams at the back.

Their 54 concessions in 2020-21 may not have been alarming in itself, with six teams letting in more, but at a rate of 1.4 goals conceded every game they were always likely to find themselves in a little danger if, A) they stopped scoring as often, or B) they didn't improve the defence.

Sure enough, injuries have played a massive part in Leeds' struggles this season, with most of their key players spending at least a short period on the sidelines.

That's been especially felt at the back. While Leeds' goals scored per game remains at a similar – albeit slightly lower – rate (1.5 down from 1.6), their concessions have rocketed from 1.4 every match to 2.0.

Only Norwich City (50) have conceded more Premier League goals than Leeds this season (46), and 26 of those have come in the nine matches since their last clean sheet in November. It's a diabolical run.

Granted, it would appear they have been somewhat unfortunate. Their expected goals against (xGA) (40.4) is 4.6 lower than their goals conceded (excluding own goals) record, suggesting they have on occasion been punished by particularly impressive finishing.

But their xGA remains the third-poorest in the league and, as the graphic above suggests, they've been conceding higher-value chances than they've been creating on average practically all season. That -0.74 differential on their rolling average between non-penalty (np) xG for and xGA heading into the weekend highlights just how much worse they are defensively than they are good going forward at the moment.

THAT ONE'S A KEEPER

An interesting underlying narrative ahead of this clash is the form of the respective goalkeepers.

David de Gea is arguably back to his very best, the Spaniard enjoying a wonderful season after falling out of favour in 2020-21 – it's as though Dean Henderson's emergence as a viable replacement spooked him into pulling his finger out.

Whereas Illan Meslier is – according to the numbers at least – having a very difficult season.

That's not necessarily to say Meslier is entirely to blame. In fact, he's not made any Opta-defined errors leading to shots this term, whereas De Gea has made two. Similarly, as Leeds' xGA shows, they give away a lot of chances and there's only so much a goalkeeper – and a young one at that – can do.

Indeed, Meslier was considered one of few positives from Leeds' recent 3-0 battering by Everton, yet the numbers don't make for such kind reading.

According to Opta's 'goals prevented' metric, Meslier should have stopped as many as 7.3 of the goals he has conceded this season, by far the worst record in the league (Vicente Guaita: 5.1). De Gea, on the other hand, has apparently been the most decisive keeper, actively preventing 6.9 goals and making a division-high 92 saves.

Meslier is ranked second for saves (80), but it would also seem he has let in several goals the average keeper might've been expected to keep out.

Intriguingly, United's rolling average in terms of np-xG for and xGA has their current differential as the exact inverse of that of Leeds, with Rangnick's side enjoying a positive 0.74 difference in favour of xG for, meaning they are creating better chances than they concede and are seemingly at their most cohesive in attack all season.

It's by far the biggest rolling average gap United have seen this term – at least in favour of xG for – and the 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion in midweek looked like another step towards being a more ruthless attacking unit.

Creating chances hasn't really been a problem in recent weeks, the issue has been finishing them off. While rivalry meetings can be unpredictable, and a full house at Elland Road should at least ensure the hosts have a vocal backing, it wouldn't be in the least bit surprising if Leeds are proven to be the cannon fodder United need.

Ralf Rangnick has denied rumours of a power struggle between Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo for the Manchester United captaincy.

Maguire has been widely criticised for his form this season and his underwhelming performances coupled with the apparent influence of Ronaldo was reported to have caused issues in the changing room.

A report in the Mirror on Thursday claimed interim boss Rangnick has tasked Ronaldo with mentoring the young players.

According to the story, Maguire has subsequently felt undermined by the former Real Madrid star.

But Maguire hit back on Twitter on Friday, insisting the claims "aren't true" and Rangnick has since lent his backing to the England international.

"Well, to start with, I must say this is absolutely nonsense," Rangnick told reporters ahead of Sunday's clash with Leeds United.

"I have never spoken with any player about a possible change of captaincy, Harry was fully aware of that, so was Cristiano and the other players. This has never been an issue for me.

"It's me who decides who's the captain and therefore there is no reason for me to speak about that with another person. Harry is our captain and he will stay our captain until the end of the season and there is nothing else to add on to that."

Maguire's response to the initial story on Twitter came after Marcus Rashford reacted similarly on Thursday.

Rashford was responding to a German journalist declaring that "English players" like himself and Maguire "are irritated that Ronaldo wants to lead the dressing room with his own clique".

The England forward suggested the reporter was "just making it up as we go along" and "looking for divides".

Rangnick is not especially annoyed by the situation, and even believes the atmosphere in the dressing room is much better than it was just a few weeks ago.

"Well I'm not frustrated at all because I know it's not true," he continued. "I told you about Harry being the captain, it's not an issue at all, it's never been an issue for us or myself as manager.

"All the other things, to be honest, I don't listen to that noise that much because my full focus is on preparing the team for the next training, for the next game.

"Obviously, I have heard about what was written. I can only tell you from my personal experience in the last 12 weeks, yes, there were players unhappy until the closure of the transfer window because, as I always said, the squad was too big, we had too many players who just realised they wouldn't get game time and this has improved, for sure.

"From what I can tell, the atmosphere in the locker room is better than it used to be a couple of weeks ago for all those reasons I just spoke about.

"As you quite rightly said, for us it's about performing well, showing togetherness on the pitch, getting the best out of our performance and winning games, that's our job. Those are the things we can influence, all the other things we can't."

Manchester United made a mistake by re-signing Cristiano Ronaldo, and would be making another error by keeping him at the club next season, so says Jamie Carragher.

Ronaldo ended a six-game goal drought in United's 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion earlier this week, his worst such run since January 2009, but talk has focused upon whether the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's return to Old Trafford last year has improved the Red Devils.

Harry Maguire and Marcus Rashford have both denied reports of a rift in the United dressing room, while there has been speculation that the 37-year-old will leave at the end of the campaign.

Liverpool great and Sky Sports pundit Carragher has now questioned the wisdom of signing Ronaldo, and predicted that keeping him at the club next season could cause more harm than good.

"Cristiano Ronaldo's invaluable contribution to Manchester United's Premier League win over Brighton was another reminder of his unparalleled appetite for goals", Carragher wrote in The Telegraph.

"But it does not change this reality: United made a mistake re-signing Ronaldo last summer. It will be a bigger one keeping him next season.

"Given the cost of signing such a superstar as Ronaldo (an estimated £500,000 a week), it is not a smart investment."

Ronaldo has struck nine Premier League goals from chances equating to 11.3 expected goals (xG) since returning to England, putting him one ahead of compatriot Bruno Fernandes at the top of the club's scoring charts.

His finishing has, therefore, been better than would be expected from the chances that have come his way. For example, his opener against Brighton on Tuesday had an xG of just 0.07, essentially giving Ronaldo just a seven per cent chance of scoring.

But with United drawing successive league games before their win over Brighton, Carragher is unsure whether the forward was ever the right fit for the current needs of the Red Devils, who are without a major trophy since 2017.

"How can I, or anyone, credibly criticise someone who has won five Champions League titles and scored over 800 goals?" Carragher continued.

"But if you sign Ronaldo right now, it is short-term recruitment expected to deliver instant success.

"United are way off the pace domestically, and it would be a major surprise if they win the Champions League. That is why Ralf Rangnick is openly speaking about the need for United to sign another striker before next season."

United are fourth in the Premier League table, but fellow top-four contenders Arsenal, Wolves, and Tottenham all have multiple games in hand, as Rangnick tries to salvage Champions League football from what is quickly becoming another underwhelming campaign.

Harry Maguire has denied suggestions that he is embroiled in a power struggle with team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo over who should be Manchester United's captain.

England international Maguire was named United's regular skipper by former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after Ashley Young departed for Inter in January 2020.

However, according to a report by The Mirror on Thursday, interim United boss Ralf Rangnick has asked Maguire to consider relinquishing the armband to Ronaldo.

That is said to have made Maguire feel increasingly undermined by Ronaldo, who has had a big influence in the dressing room since returning to the club last year.

But the centre-back, who has struggled for form as of late, has rubbished those claims ahead of United's clash with Leeds United this weekend.

"I've seen a lot of reports about this club that aren't true and this is another," Maguire posted on his official Twitter account.

"Not going to start posting about everything that is written but I needed to make this one clear. We're united and focused on Sunday. Enjoy your day everyone @ManUtd."

Maguire is the second United player to hit out at media reports relating to Ronaldo this week.

On Wednesday, Marcus Rashford denied that United's English played have formed a "clique" in opposition to the Portugal international's dressing room influence.

Ronaldo ended a six-match goalless run by putting United ahead in Tuesday's morale-boosting 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion.

That came amid speculation that Ronaldo will look to leave Old Trafford at the end of the campaign.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner himself used social media to respond to his critics after the defeat of Brighton, which snapped a three-game winless run for United in all competitions.

"Back on track," Ronaldo posted. "Nobody gives up and there's only one way to get back on track: hard work, team work, serious work. Everything else is just noise."

With his strike against Brighton, Ronaldo has now scored against 168 different opponents for club and country as he scored for the 21st calendar year running.

He found the back of the net from one of a game-high five shots against Brighton, while the three chances he created are the most he has managed in the league this term.

Kylian Mbappe's name continues to dominate the transfer columns as he nears the end of his Paris Saint-Germain contract.

While Mbappe's future beyond this season remains uncertain, PSG appear to already have plans in place should he depart.

And if one superstar forward leaves the French capital, another could arrive in his place.

TOP STORY – PSG TO BRING IN RONALDO

According to The Mirror, PSG are looking to bring in Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United should they be unable to convince Mbappe to sign a new big-money deal.

Ronaldo only returned to Old Trafford last August, but the 37-year-old is said to be considering his future after an underwhelming campaign.

Should Ronaldo be tempted to move to Ligue 1, having already plied his trade in the Premier League, LaLiga and Serie A, he would get the chance to link up with Lionel Messi.

The pair have 12 Ballons d'Or between them and are regarded as two of the greatest players of all time.

ROUND-UP

- United are not expecting Paul Pogba to make a U-turn on his future by signing a new deal, according to the Manchester Evening News. The France international is set to become a free agent in four months' time and has been linked with PSG and former side Juventus.

- El Nacional claims that Chelsea are plotting a bid for Barcelona youngster Gavi. The Blues will reportedly have to pay £42million (€50m) to land the teenage midfielder, with other teams across Europe also showing an interest.

- Tottenham striker Harry Kane wants assurances that boss Antonio Conte will be backed in the next transfer window, suggests The Sun, after the Italian questioned the club's recruitment policy. That comes amid fresh rumours that Kane is considering his own Spurs future.

- According to Calciomercato, Real Madrid are ready to push ahead with plans to sign Kieran Tierney from Arsenal. Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti previously tried to sign Tierney during his time in charge of Napoli, but the Scottish left-back instead opted for the Gunners. 

- Manchester City are on the verge of getting a £5.4m deal over the line for Brazilian winger Savinho, says Fabrizio Romano. A medical is rumoured to have already been scheduled for the 17-year-old, who has impressed for Atletico Mineiro.

Manchester United face the prospect of losing key midfielder Paul Pogba on a free transfer at the end of the campaign.

The France international is into the final four months of his existing deal and there are few indications that he is prepared to extend his terms at Old Trafford.

And in a further blow for United, they could see Pogba head to one of their domestic top-flight rivals.

TOP STORY – POGBA OPEN TO PREMIER LEAGUE STAY

The Telegraph reports that Pogba, who rejoined United from Juventus in a big-money deal in 2016, is prepared to wait until the end of the season before deciding on his future.

Signing a new deal with United is said to remain an option, but Pogba will not be short of options should he become available to sign on a free – albeit with big wages to factor in.

The report indicates that the 28-year-old will weigh up any interest from fellow Premier League clubs, with Chelsea and Manchester City having previously been linked.

ROUND-UP

- It is shaping up to be a busy transfer window for United as a number of other players are also out of contract. According to Ekrem Konur, Edinson Cavani and Juan Mata are attracting strong interest from clubs in the Middle East.

- Jesse Lingard is another who could be on his way out of Old Trafford, though The Express claims that the England international is not considering a free transfer to Tottenham. Lingard would reportedly prefer to move abroad ahead of next season.

- Arsenal have joined Everton and Wolves in the race to sign Rafael Leao from Milan, according to La Repubblica. The 22-year-old is enjoying his best campaign to date at San Siro, having registered double figures for goals.

- Italian outlet Tuttosport suggests that Juventus are pushing ahead with plans to sign Nicolo Zaniolo from Serie A rivals Roma, who are supposedly prepared to accept an offer in the region of €40million for a player with two years to run on his deal.

- Leeds United's in-demand winger Raphinha is holding off talks over a new contract at Elland Road, suggests GOAL. The Brazil international has previously been touted as a target for Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.

Cristiano Ronaldo insisted "everything else is just noise" in an apparent swipe at his critics after ending his goalscoring drought in Manchester United's win over Brighton and Hove Albion.

The Portugal international had gone six games without finding the net in all competitions – his worst run at club level since a run of seven games ending in January 2009 – prior to drilling home United's opener in Tuesday's Premier League contest.

Bruno Fernandes added a late second to seal a 2-0 win for United at Old Trafford, ending what has also been a poor run for the Red Devils, having drawn their previous two league games and been knocked out of the FA Cup by Middlesbrough.

Those results and Ronaldo's loss of form led to reports that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner will look to leave Old Trafford at the end of the campaign, but he is happy to have done his talking on the pitch.

"Back on track," Ronaldo posted on Twitter. "Nobody gives up and there's only one way to get back on track: hard work, team work, serious work. Everything else is just noise. Let's go Devils!"

Ronaldo has now scored against 168 different opponents for club and country after netting against Brighton, while he has also scored at least once in each of the last 21 calendar years stretching back to 2002.

He found the back of the net from one of a game-high five shots against Brighton, while the three chances he created for team-mates are the most he has managed in the Premier League this term.

After recently leaving Ronaldo out of the starting line-up to face Burnley, United interim boss Ralf Rangnick was pleased with the former Real Madrid and Juventus star's improved display against Albion.

"The goal he scored was amazing," Rangnick said. "Not only an important one but an amazing goal. I think overall it was a good performance by Cristiano. 

"'Energetically, he was on there, he was always trying to help his team-mates, so I think in the last weeks this is definitely the best performance by him and a very, very important goal for us."

Cristiano Ronaldo ended a run of six matches without scoring in Tuesday's win over Brighton and Hove Albion, but the Manchester United forward's future remains uncertain.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner's second spell at Old Trafford has not gone quite to plan and a number of European clubs are said to be circling should he depart.

If reports are accurate, it may well be that a reunion with former boss Jose Mourinho is on the cards for Ronaldo in the coming months.

TOP STORY – ROMA IN FOR RONALDO

Roma are one of three clubs currently in the running to sign Ronaldo should he depart United in the next transfer window, according to The Sun.

Giallorossi boss Mourinho previously managed Ronaldo at Real Madrid and is eager to bolster his squad with a superstar signing.

However, it is not known if the 37-year-old would welcome a return to Serie A, where he previously spent three seasons playing for Juventus ahead of rejoining United.

European heavyweights Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are reported to be the other two sides to have expressed an interest in Ronaldo.

ROUND-UP

- Fabrizio Romano claims Chelsea are now solely focused on signing Jules Kounde from Sevilla after being told that top defensive target Marquinhos will not be sold by PSG.

- According to The Sun, Armando Broja's form on loan with Southampton has seen the Chelsea youngster's name added to Bayern and Borussia Dortmund's list of targets.

- Manchester City have bid £5.5million (€6.5m) for Atletico Mineiro's teenage winger Savio, suggests The Guardian, with the intention of then loaning him out to PSV.

- Juan Mata will depart United as a free agent at the end of the campaign, claims Nicolo Schira. The midfielder may look to see out his career in his Spanish homeland.

- Ralf Rangnick is eager for United to bring in Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig, according to ESPN. Madrid, Liverpool, Man City and Arsenal have also been linked.

Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick praised his side's marked second-half improvement during the win over Brighton and Hove Albion.

Without a win in three matches across all competitions, the Red Devils were booed off by the Old Trafford faithful following a goalless first half.

The hosts registered just three shots on goal to their opponents’ eight during the opening 45 minutes, while enjoying only 41 per cent of possession.

However, the pendulum swung in their favour early in the second half, Cristiano Ronaldo breaking the deadlock with his first goal of 2022 before Lewis Dunk was dismissed for bringing down Anthony Elanga.

Bruno Fernandes sealed the points deep into stoppage time with his fourth goal in as many Premier League appearances against Brighton.

"First half was Mr Hyde; second half Dr Jekyll – and for a change, [the result] was different," Rangnick said.

"In the end, it was important to get the three points against an in-form team. Brighton are very possession-based, full of confidence, and we had to take more risks in the second half; it paid off. 

"In the first 10 minutes of the second half, we had more success moments, and it raised the crowd; they were not moaning and were getting behind the team

"We scored the goal and got the red card. It should have been 3-0, 4-0 after 75 minutes, but there is a bit of lack of assuredness in front of goal."

United also registered their second clean sheet in three home Premier League games – as many as they managed in the previous 18 – but did so without Raphael Varane, who pulled out of the starting line-up due to illness.

Addressing the defender's situation, Rangnick revealed: "On the way from the hotel after dinner and team meeting, he had stomach problems. 

"We were hoping to get rid of it with medication, but he did not feel well and that is why we played with Victor Lindelof instead."

Victory lifted United above West Ham and back into the top four of the Premier League table.

David de Gea, who made several smart saves to keep Brighton at bay, revealed his team-mates' delight at getting back to winning ways, but feels they should be in a stronger position than they are.

"It is great always when you have the three points, especially after we drew the last few games," the goalkeeper said. "We are all very happy.

"We knew that Brighton is one of the teams that play very well with the ball, press very good and, for me, it is a very good team. 

"We pressed high in the second half. We controlled the game after the red card and there was a five-minute spell when they came back.

"We should be fighting for more things than the top four, but that is the reality. There are many teams fighting for the same position and with the quality we have, we should win a lot of points."

Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes were on target as Manchester United saw off 10-man Brighton and Hove Albion in a 2-0 win at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils climbed into the top four of the Premier League thanks to a pair of second-half strikes from the Portuguese duo.

Ronaldo ended a run of six matches without a goal when he broke the deadlock in the 51st minute, shortly before Lewis Dunk saw red for Brighton.

And Fernandes wrapped up the points following a quickfire counter deep into stoppage time as the visitors chased a dramatic equaliser.

Barcelona have been working to overcome their financial challenges over the past 12 months.

The Blaugrana have been plotting a way forward with their playing squad.

Barca landed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on a free transfer in January, as well as a loan move for Adama Traore.

TOP STORY – BARCELONA TARGET DE VRIJ

Barcelona are keen on Inter's Dutch defender Stefan de Vrij, reports Fichajes.

De Vrij is contracted with the Nerazzurri until the end of the 2022-23 season, but Barca may view him as Gerard Pique's successor.

Inter are reportedly open to interest from other parties, if the price is right, with the 30-year-old heading towards the final year of his present deal.

ROUND-UP

- The Daily Mail claims Paris Saint-Germain are putting together a lucrative deal to lure Paul Pogba to the club from Manchester United as a free agent. Pogba also has interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona, while he may still stay at Old Trafford.

- Newcastle United's efforts to sign Sevilla defender Diego Carlos will continue in the off-season after missing out in January, reports Marca.

- RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku has been added to Manchester United's list of off-season targets, claims ESPN.

- Crystal Palace and Watford are both keen on Liverpool veteran James Milner, according to Fichajes.

Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick will not drop Harry Maguire nor strip him of the captaincy but insists he needs to get better.

Maguire has been culpable defensively in United's recent 1-1 draws with Burnley and Southampton.

Rangnick conceded the 28-year-old record signing needed to get better, revealing he is struggling to adjust to United's back four.

"I think after he came back after his injury he did extremely well, with a very good performance against West Ham," Rangnick told reporters ahead of United's Tuesday game with Brighton and Hove Albion.

"In the last two games he had some weaker moments, both against Southampton and when we conceded the goal against Burnley.

"He is our captain and I don't see any reason to change that, but he is a player who has to develop and get better, like all the other players.

"The way we play is new. In the English national team he is used to playing in a back three, here he's in a back four but not as proactive. It will take some time for him to get used to it."

Maguire, who joined United for £80 million in 2019, has made 19 starts in the league this season for the Red Devils who have kept five clean sheets from 24 games.

Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick will not drop Harry Maguire not strip him of the captaincy but insists he needs to get better.

Maguire has been culpable defensively in United's recent 1-1 draws with Burnley and Southampton.

Rangnick conceded the 28-year-old record signing needed to get better, revealing he is struggling to adjust to United's back four.

"I think after he came back after his injury he did extremely well, with a very good performance against West Ham," Rangnick told reporters ahead of United's Tuesday game with Brighton and Hove Albion.

"In the last two games he had some weaker moments, both against Southampton and when we conceded the goal against Burnley.

"He is our captain and I don't see any reason to change that, but he is a player who has to develop and get better, like all the other players.

"The way we play is new. In the English national team he is used to playing in a back three, here he's in a back four but not as proactive. It will take some time for him to get used to it."

Maguire, who joined United for £80 million in 2019, has made 19 starts in the league this season for the Red Devils who have kept five clean sheets from 24 games.