Perez rejects Man Utd star twice as ex-Real Madrid man does ‘everything possible’ to make shock return
Man Utd defender Raphael Varane has phoned Real Madrid president Florentino Perez in an effort to secure a return to Spain, according to reports.
The France international moved to Old Trafford in 2021 for a reported £34m in an exciting deal for Red Devils fans.
Man Utd signed Varane, Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho in the same window but the trio didn’t have the expected impact with the Red Devils finishing sixth in the Premier League at the end of the season.
Varane has had a few injury issues since joining, making 22 Premier League appearances in his first season at Old Trafford and 24 last term.
The Frenchman has only won the League Cup in his two years at Old Trafford and he will be hoping to challenge for bigger honours this season – but Spanish publication Nacional insists the 30-year-old wants out.
Varane ‘has asked to return to Real Madrid on two occasions’ but that the La Liga side’s president Perez has said ‘no’ both times as he ‘does not forget the betrayal’.
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It is understood that Varane ‘has done everything possible to be allowed to return to Real Madrid‘ after he has ‘never quite felt comfortable at Manchester United’.
Nacional insist that he ‘misses the life he had in Spain’ despite snubbing an offer of fresh terms from Real Madrid in 2021 to sign for Man Utd.
Varane ‘offered himself to Madrid’ 12 months ago and ‘the story has been repeated again’ this summer in a phone call to Perez – but the Real Madrid president ‘still doesn’t have space in the dressing room’ and ‘will not forgive’ his former centre-back.
Real Madrid already have Eder Militao, David Alaba, Jesus Vallejo, Nacho Fernandez on their books and ‘the name of Varane would not enter the list of objectives’.
Despite those rumours, Varane has been very positive ahead of the new campaign with the Man Utd centre-back posting a fiery message on Instagram ahead of pre-season.
“We’re back!! Rested, recharged, ready to go,” Varane said earlier this week. “Time to push ourselves physically and mentally to the limit. Let’s get to work.”
Varane played the first 45 minutes of United’s 2-0 friendly victory over Leeds on Wednesday with Erik ten Hag reserving special praise for the Frenchman’s performance.
Ten Hag said: “He’s fantastic. He’s had a fantastic personality from the first moment I met him and, of course, I know him over the years and what he already achieved at Real Madrid and at France.
“That’s unbelievable. You think when you are young, you can hardly believe you can achieve such things. But Rapha did. So that is so huge.
“And so we are full of respect from everyone around United internally and also you see the fans they admire him.”
