In a recent print edition, Spanish news outlet ABC has mentioned that Manchester United have made contact to land Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane this summer. It is understood that Los Blancos are unwilling to meet the French centre-back’s wage demands which could see him leave the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium at the end of this campaign as the Red Devils position themselves to capture his services (transcripted and translated by thefaithfulmufc.com).
Varane’s Impressive Season At The Bernabeu
The Lille-born defensive ace is having another solid season at the Spanish capital after producing a run of commanding displays at the centre of Zinedine Zidane’s backline. Varane has been involved in 36 matches for the Madrid outfit this term, scoring two goals in the process across various competitions.
More importantly, the French sensation has continued to impress on the defensive end of the field as he is averaging 0.7 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 3.7 clearances per game in La Liga. Some of his numbers have gone up in Europe where he has averaged 1.3 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 3.0 clearances per 90 minutes in the UEFA Champions League so far. Varane has even distributed the ball quite well from the back, as evidenced by his pass success rate of 89.8% in European football (stats via whoscored).
The 27-year-old’s current contract with Los Blancos expires in the summer of 2022, so Zidane will be forced to sell him for a cut-price fee during this summer transfer window or risk losing him as a free agent next year. Varane has won mostly everything there is to win with Real Madrid. Maybe this summer could be an ideal time for him to switch clubs in search of a new adventure in the coming seasons.
What Are The France International’s Best Attributes?
Standing at 1.91m, Varane is a towering presence inside his penalty box and can read the danger quickly to make some crucial interceptions for his team. He usually times his tackles well and has even got the pace to get back and clear the threat when needed.
The 73-time France international is an excellent ball-playing centre-back, so he will fit into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s playing style quite well if Man United can find a way to get a deal done for him in this off-season. At 27, Varane is currently playing at his peak and still has the hunger to win trophies at the highest level.
Will Varane Be A Dream Signing For The Red Devils?
Therefore, the Frenchman will be a dream signing for the Mancunian giants as he will add a lot of quality to Solskjaer’s defensive department. There is no doubt that he will be a significant upgrade over Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly at Old Trafford. Furthermore, Varane could potentially form a dominant defensive partnership with Harry Maguire for years to come if Solskjaer can lure him to the Theatre of Dreams in the summer.
