Cristiano Ronaldo told former Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick last season that Harry Maguire should be dropped after several poor displays, according to The Athletic.
A delegation of senior players, including Paul Pogba and Raphael Varane, approached Rangnick when the Red Devils were struggling in February.
The Portuguese star expressed he needed to play as part of a two-man front line.
He also added that Maguire should be benched and the interim boss replied the conversation was inappropriate without the presence of the England international.
However, Ronaldo retorted that the centre-back was part of the problem.
Several players felt uncomfortable and subsequently apologised to the German manager.
Should Ronaldo have made such comments?
The Red Devils were disappointing last season, labouring to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League.
Apart from David de Gea and Ronaldo, almost all the other players underperformed and deserved blame for their poor displays.
Maguire was also far from his best and he came under plenty of fire from supporters.
The 29-year-old’s struggles have continued this season as he has performed poorly against Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford. He has been on the bench for the previous two Premier League matches.
There is no doubt that Ronaldo is one of the best footballers in the world who has been enormously successful at all his previous clubs.
However, it looks completely unjustified that the Portugal international should criticise the captain in front of other senior players as this negatively affects the dressing room environment.
