Is Raphael Varane set to leave Real Madrid this summer?
By Ben Sundock
The drama within Real Madrid‘s team has not diminished in the week since Zinedine Zidane returned as manager. The most recent hot topic is the rumor that center back Raphael Varane is looking for a new challenge outside of Spain. Here are the details.
At 25-years-old, Raphael Varane has won just about every trophy possible on both the club and international levels. A World Cup and Champions League title during the summer of 2018 capped off a magical year for the French center back.
Since joining Los Blancos in 2011, Varane has experienced the best period of the club’s history and has played a huge role in this success we as fans have so enjoyed watching.
Because of all the winning, reports are now emerging that Rafa Varane is mulling over his future in Spain and could be in favor of a shock move to Manchester United in the coming years. According to French media outlet L’Equipe, Varane could make the move to England and be one of the most expensive defenders ever.
These are tough rumors for Madridistas to stomach as the tall number five has been a staple of the Real Madrid backline for the last three or four years and his world-class talent is undeniable.
United has been in the hunt for the French center back’s signature for some time now and his uncertainty over his future could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Former Real Madrid and Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho was keen on signing Varane during his tenure in England, but nothing ever happened.
Let us not forget, it was Mourinho who brought Varane to Madrid and said that he would one day be one of the greatest defenders to ever play in Europe. So far, he hasn’t been wrong.
Bleacher Report makes an interesting note about the situation, saying that after Real Madrid’s signing of Eder Militao last week, the Brazilian center back could be the replacement for Varane and not a depth player as I previously thought.
I am curious to see what Manchester United does moving into this summer considering they already have four quality center back and some solid youth academy players on the up and up.
Varane agreed to a contract extension in September of 2017 that will keep him in the Spanish capital in 2022 if he chooses. United will need to pay in excess of €100 million to have the chance to sit down and talk with president Florentino Perez.
After the infamous fax scandal of 2015 involving Real Madrid, Man U, and David de Gea, I find it truly hard to believe that the two parties on good terms after everything that happened.