Lee Sharpe has put Mason Mount among the names who could take over the Manchester United armband if Bruno Fernandes eventually leaves. He did not name a clear successor, but he did single out Mount's experience and example-setting, while Michael Owen argued United should do everything to keep Fernandes.

Sharpe's captaincy shortlist

Sharpe's view was broad rather than fixed. He said Harry Maguire has done the job well before, described Lisandro Martinez as "probably captain material", and added that Mount would be "in with a shout" if he can stay fit and keep playing the way he has previously.

The Mount case is the one that stands out because Sharpe tied it to behaviour as much as ability. He said the midfielder would not necessarily rule by fear, but "rule by example", which is a neat summary of why the conversation around him keeps coming back.

Mount's recent workload gives that chat some backing. He has played 74, 17, 95, 16 and 9 minutes in his last five matches, a 119-minute stretch that points to him being involved rather than drifting on the edge of things. His average rating across those five games was 6.86.

There is still a limit to how far that leadership talk can go. Mount picked up a knock 20 minutes into Saturday's 1-1 draw with Paris Saint Germain in Gothenburg, Sweden, and he has managed 72 appearances since joining United in summer 2023.

Owen's case for keeping Fernandes

Owen took a harder line on Fernandes. He said United should "absolutely do everything" to keep him, then added that the club may have to "break the rules" because some players are simply too important to lose.

That is the cleaner argument in the short term. Fernandes is still the player Owen would not want United to start a season without, and the ex-striker's point was blunt enough: "He's just a must if Manchester United are going to continue their progression."

The contrast is obvious. Sharpe is thinking about who can lead next, while Owen is focused on making sure United do not have to answer that question yet.

For now, Mount is in the frame, Fernandes remains the player United do not want to lose, and the next thing to watch is whether Mount can build on the minutes he has already put together before the season starts for real.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →