In a recent report, Marca has mentioned that Chelsea are among several clubs showing interest in Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane. It is understood that the Blues could face competition in the form of Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus in pursuit of the French centre-back, who could be sold for a fee in the region of €50m if he doesn’t pen a new contract at the end of this campaign (via Marca).
Varane’s Influential Role In Zidane’s First-Team This Season
Varane’s current deal at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium runs out in the summer of 2022, so Los Blancos will have no choice but to cash in on him this summer or risk losing him for free next year. The Lille-born talent has enjoyed another impressive season at the Spanish capital as he has been responsible for producing a run of dominant displays at the centre of the Zinedine Zidane’s defence.
The former Lens defensive ace has featured in 28 matches for the Spanish giants this term, scoring two goals and picking up one yellow card in the process across all competitions. The 27-year-old has once again proven his worth in defence by averaging 0.8 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 3.6 clearances per game in La Liga. He has even been tidy when distributing the ball out from the back after completing 89.4% of his attempted passes in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
Varane has won just about every trophy with Real Madrid, so maybe he could be tempted with a chance to join the Blues next summer in search of a new adventure and more success in the years to come.
What Will The French Centre-Back Bring To Stamford Bridge?
Varane has established himself as one of the world’s best centre-halves during his time at Real Madrid. He has excellent defensive awareness to sense the danger quickly and can make some important clearances for his team.
Standing at 1.91m, the French sensation can use his strong frame to dominate the opposition attackers aerially by outmuscling them. Varane can also be an aerial threat inside the opponent’s penalty box from indirect set-pieces. He is even quick and athletic enough to make some crucial recovering runs at the back when his teammates are caught out of position.
Will Varane Be A Dream Option For The Blues?
At the moment, Varane could be a dream option for the West London outfit as he will be an upgrade over any of the current defensive options at Thomas Tuchel’s disposal. At 27, the 70-time France international is currently playing at his prime and would undeniably improve the Chelsea first-team quality. Plus, he could potentially help the Blues win some major trophies in the coming seasons, so Tuchel will do well to fend off interest from other clubs to get Varane on board at the end of this campaign.
