How ex-United boss Rangnick clashed with Ronaldo over calls to drop Maguire

It has been revealed how Cristiano Ronaldo asked former Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick to drop captain Harry Maguire last season.

According to a report by the reliable Athletic, the Portuguese football legend demanded that the club captain be demoted during a showdown meeting in February.

The 37-year-old believed that the centre-back was part of the problems at the club as Manchester United suffered one of its worst seasons.

Ronaldo was not alone in this meeting as former midfielder, Paul Pogba and compatriot, Raphael Varane, were also present in the clear-the-air meeting with Rangnick.

The German coach spent an unsuccessful six months at Old Trafford as the interim manager, leading the club to a sixth-place finish in the league.

United's bad form under Rangnick led to the meeting with the players led by the legendary Portuguese star.

However, despite their collective concerns, Rangnick told the players that it was inappropriate for them to call for Maguire's demotion.

Ronaldo, who finished as the team's top scorer with 24 goals in all competitions, was also said to have demanded to play alongside Uruguayan striker, Edison Cavani.

But his pleas were not listened to by the German coach, who has since left the Red Devils for the Austrian national team.

With Rangnick gone, United has a new manager in Dutchman Erik Ten Hag, who left Ajax Amsterdam for Old Trafford.

After back-to-back defeats in the Premier League, Ten Hag decided to drop Maguire with a new signing, Lisandro Martinez preferred partner for Varane.

In contrast, the Dutchman has also dropped Ronaldo to the bench as he tries to rebuild the club in his image.