In a recent report, Marca stated that Chelsea have joined the race to land Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane this summer. However, it has been revealed that the Blues will have to rival Manchester United in pursuit of the French defensive ace during this summer transfer period (via Marca).
Varane’s Recent Form In Spanish Football
The Lille-born centre-half had another solid campaign at the Spanish capital as he continued to perform at a high level for the Madrid outfit on the defensive end of the field. However, his defensive were not enough for his team to win the league title or the UEFA Champions League trophy. Varane registered two goals and four yellow cards in 41 appearances for Los Blancos last season in all competitions.
The 28-year-old did well to impress at the heart of the Madrid backline after he averaged 0.7 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 3.5 clearances per 90 minutes in the previous La Liga campaign. He even distributed possession with accuracy, as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 89.6% in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
Varane is still one of the best centre-backs in European football, so he would be a massive coup for Chelsea if they can successfully lure him to Stamford Bridge before the start of the new campaign. At 28, he is currently enjoying the prime years of his career and has got the winning mindset to help the Blues secure ever more silverware in the coming seasons.
What Will The France International Add To Thomas Tuchel’s Side?
Varane is a decent tackler of the ball and can time his challenges well to earn the ball back for his side. He is usually quick to react to the danger and loves to put his foot through the ball when in danger of being exposed at the back.
The French sensation can use his robust 1.91m frame to command his penalty area with authority and is proficient at building plays for others around him. He hardly gives away the ball which makes him a perfect fit for Thomas Tuchel’s style of play at Stamford Bridge.
We can expect Varane to add plenty of bite and steel to Tuchel’s backline and would enhance the overall quality of Chelsea’s match-day squad for the coming seasons. He ticks all the right boxes in terms of what’s required to be a success story in Premier League football.
Varane will undoubtedly offer some serious competition for Antonio Rudiger, Thiago Silva and Andreas Christensen for a regular starting spot at the West London club next season. Hence, Tuchel would be wise to go all out to acquire the services of the 79-time France international in this off-season.
