Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is likely to remove Wayne Rooney as the club’s captain if the player decides to stay at Old Trafford for another season, according to the Sun.
The newspaper claims that the 31-year-old is unlikely to feature as a first-team regular next season and Mourinho has already started to consider options for the captain’s armband.
A source is quoted in the Sun as saying:“Wayne is facing losing the captaincy next season if he stays.
“There’s a few obvious names in the frame with Michael (Carrick) being at the club for so long and Paul (Pogba) a leader at the club.”
Rooney became the club captain at the start of the 2014-15 season under manager Louis van Gaal.
The report also claims that United are willing to offload the striker this summer with the source claiming that the club feel that it would be the right moment for Rooney to move on.
Rooney made a total of 25 Premier League appearances last season – his least amount of league matches played in a single season since joining United thirteen years ago.
The England skipper was forced to watch the majority of the season from the sidelines as Mourinho preferred to use him as an impact substitute when his side needed a goal.
Last season, Rooney contributed with eight goals in all competitions and he became the club’s all-time leading goalscorer as he took his tally to 253 goals.
Rooney has lifted the FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League as the club captain at Old Trafford.