After weeks of rumours and negotiations, Raphael Varane is set to join Manchester United according to the ever-reliable Fabrizio Romano, with personal terms agreed and a deal virtually done.
Raphael Varane Will Sign for Manchester United
Red Devils Searching for a Centre-Back
Following the conclusion of the Jadon Sancho transfer deal, United moved straight to the next item on their list: a centre-back.
The Red Devils are intent on finding a more stable partner for Harry Maguire this summer. Victor Lindelof was regularly paired with the Englishman last season, providing a largely solid core of the defence. That said, the Swede’s weaknesses were exposed at various points across the campaign, costing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side in key moments. With injury-prone trio Eric Bailly, Axel Tuanzebe, and Phil Jones providing the rest of United’s depth in central defence, it certainly makes sense to try and sign someone else in that position–someone world-class.
Different names have been thrown around in reports since the end of the 2020/21 campaign–and even before. The likes of Jules Kounde and Pau Torres were both considered targets for the Manchester side. One of the key attributes United are searching for is pace in order to supplement Maguire’s lack thereof, while quality in other physical and technical attributes is also desirable.
Varane, however, has recently emerged as the main target at Old Trafford. The Real Madrid man certainly possesses strong mobility but is also defensively first-class. Adding him to the Red Devils’ defence could make it one of the world’s best, with the Frenchman potentially playing alongside Maguire, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Luke Shaw, who impressed greatly at this year’s European Championships despite playing with multiple broken ribs. While Solskjaer’s side would certainly miss Lindelof’s exemplary ball-playing ability, Varane is a massive upgrade on what is currently there.
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