It has been reported that French World Cup winning centre-half Raphael Varane is seeking an exit from Real Madrid this summer (Source FootballEspana.net).

If this isn’t a tactic from the Frenchman to get a better deal at the Bernabeu, much like Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo have done in the past, then I think Manchester United should make getting his signature a top priority during the next transfer window.

Whilst at Lens in 2011 as a kid, Varane had attracted the interest of then United manager Sir Alex Ferguson but the Scotsman’s move for the defender was thwarted when Zinedine Zidane persuaded the youngster to join the La Liga giants Madrid.

Later Fergie would tell of his pursuit of the centre-back:

“I hurtled down on the train from Euston to Lille to sign the young French defender Raphael Varane,”

“David Gill was getting into the finer points of the contract with Lens when Zinedine Zidane got wind of this and somehow scooped him up for Real Madrid from under our noses.”

Via Manchester Evening News

Raphael Varane would prove over the next decade just why United and Ferguson were so desperate to get him, as he has proven himself as a majestic defender with both Real and France.

He has three La Liga titles, four Champions League wins, a Copa del Rey, four World Club Cups and a World Cup.

As a player Varane is intelligent, possesses a great deal of pace and is strong in the challenge too. He’s also a player that seems to stay clear of injuries, in the last seven years he has always managed to make more than 30 appearances per season.

This term the central defender has an impressive passing success rate of over 89%, makes around a tackle per game, 1.3 interceptions and 3.6 clearances (Stats from Whoscored.com).

Man United could do with a world class centre-half; especially one who is composed, has a winning mentality, is smart and who is extremely fast!

Another huge bonus for the Old Trafford side would be the fact that they’d be getting Raphael hitting his peak years as Varane is still just twenty-seven years of age.

United just need to look at the signings of Ruben Dias at Manchester City and Liverpool’s Virgil van Djik to see what a difference a top class defensive signing can do for a club’s title ambitions.

I feel a new defender in the quality of a Raphael Varane would take Manchester United a bigger step closer to the Premier League title that they’ve been craving.

If I were Man United’s new Sporting Director, then I would definitely make signing a new world class centre-half like Varane would be my top priority.

Posted on March 11th, 2021 by scott
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