The Athletic has recently reported that Manchester City are among several clubs hoping to sign Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane in this off-season. It is believed that Man City will face competition from Chelsea and Manchester United in the race to acquire the services of the France international this summer (via The Athletic).
Varane’s Dominant Season In Spanish Football
Varane experienced a solid campaign with Los Blancos and once again proved his worth by producing a series of dominant displays at the centre of their defence. The 28-year-old took part in 41 matches for the Madrid giants last season, scoring two goals in the process across all competitions.
More importantly, Varane gave a good account of himself inside his half by averaging 0.7 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 3.5 clearances per game in La Liga. He even distributed possession with a lot of conviction when playing his way out from the back after completing 89.6% of his attempted passes in the Spanish first division (stats via whoscored).
The France international has won plenty of silverware during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, so he could be tempted by the opportunity to join the Premier League champions if Pep Guardiola decides to move in for him during this summer transfer period.
Is Varane Worth The Fight?
Varane remains one of the best centre-halves in European football as he can sense the danger quickly to make some crucial interceptions on the defensive end of the pitch. Standing at 1.91m, he can use his strong frame to overpower the opposition and win his fair share of aerial duels for his team.
The 78-time France international is also a potent threat from offensive set-pieces as he can attack the ball in the air quite well and tends to direct his headers where he wants to, which makes him such a dominant presence at both ends of the field.
At 28, Varane is currently enjoying the peak years of his playing career, so it is no surprise that so many top English clubs, including Man City, are hoping to land him this summer. The Frenchman will undeniably add a lot of quality to Guardiola’s defence and could even go on to form a commanding defensive partnership with Ruben Dias in the coming seasons. The Real Madrid star could be an upgrade over Nathan Ake who flattered to deceive with his performances last season.
All in all, the Mancunian giants should think about going all out to secure the services of the talented centre-back as he will be well worth the fight. We can expect Varane to help Man City continue to challenge in both domestic and European competitions over the next few years.
