Ralf Rangnick slams claims Cristiano Ronaldo is set to replace Harry Maguire as Manchester United captain

Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has dismissed ‘nonsense’ claims that he’s spoken with Harry Maguire about relinquishing the captain’s armband.

A report in the Mirror on Thursday night claimed Maguire had spoken to Rangnick about giving up the role, and that Cristiano Ronaldo was in line to take the armband.

Ronaldo is an icon for United’s younger players and the report claims Maguire has felt marginalised by how much some players look up at to the Portuguese legend.

But, after Maguire hit out at the claims this morning by describing them as false and Rangnick has gone one step further by saying the rumours are ‘nonsense’.

‘Well to start with, I must say that this is absolutely nonsense,’ said Rangnick. ‘I have never spoken with any player about a possible change of captaincy, Harry is fully aware of that and so is Cristiano and all the other players. ‘This has never been an issue for me, it’s me who decides who’s the captain and therefore there’s no need for me to speak about that with any other person. ‘Harry is our captain and he will stay our captain until the end of the season and there is nothing else to say to add on to that.’

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As ever, it’s been another week in the headlines for United after Marcus Rashford was forced to come out to deny claims that there are divides in the dressing room.

But Rangnick insists ‘false’ stories do not bother him and he says players should block out the ‘noise’.

‘I’m not frustrated at all because I know that it’s not the truth.I told you already about Harry being