Man Utd face ‘shock transfer exit’ as Ten Hag decision means his ‘days are numbered’
France international Raphael Varane will leave Manchester United in the summer transfer window after falling down the pecking order, according to reports.
The 30-year-old joined the Red Devils in 2021 from Real Madrid in a £34m, which could rise to £42m, with many believing his signing would elevate Man Utd’s defence to the next level.
However, Varane has been plagued by injuries since arriving at Old Trafford and that has seen his form take a hit with the Frenchman rarely fully up to speed.
Erik ten Hag started the season with Varane and Lisandro Martinez as his preferred centre-back pairing but injuries to both players have meant Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof have had opportunities.
Evans, who was just signed in the summer for squad depth, and Maguire are Ten Hag’s preferred duo right now despite Lindelof getting the nod in their last match before the international break.
And now The Sun claim that Varane ‘will leave Man Utd in shock transfer exit’ but that it ‘won’t be until the summer’ transfer window.
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There had already been indications that Varane could be sold as early as January with Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich reportedly interested in his services.
There have also been rumours about a potential return to Real Madrid but sources have told The Sun that the Man Utd centre-back is more interested in a move to Saudi Arabia or Italy.
A source told The Sun: “The days are numbered for Raphael Varane at Manchester United, and the clock is ticking on his future.
“He started the season as a first team player now he’s fourth choice behind Jonny Evans. Leaving suits club and player, but he won’t be going anywhere in January.
“Ten Hag wants to keep the spine of his squad together to give United the best chance of making the top four. But in the summer, United will listen to offers.
“There’s already interest from Saudi Arabia where Varane could pocket a massive uplift in his wages. But he’s also keen on Italy as it’s a league he admires and would love to be a part of.”
Not everyone can understand why fit-again Varane is not in the Man Utd team at the moment with Louis Saha speculating that the relationship between the World Cup winner and Ten Hag could’ve broken down.
“It could be a breakdown in the relationship between player and manager. I know he’s been injured often, but he needs to be given the chance to get back to his best after a spell out,” Saha told Betfred.
“It’s true that everybody needs competition but you can’t fiddle with the defence too much because that department provides you with a solid foundation. I don’t understand why Raphael’s been dropped, so maybe something’s been said behind closed doors. It’s as if he’s being scapegoated in some way and I don’t like it.
“I would understand the decision to drop him if there was another defender playing outstandingly well, but that’s not the case. Nobody’s really stood out.
“I respect the decision of the manager because you need to make changes when your team isn’t playing well, however, the defence is one area that you don’t mess with because it can put stress on the goalkeeper, especially Andre Onana who’s new to the Premier League. I don’t understand what’s happened with Raphael in the last couple of weeks to justify the reasoning for him being dropped.”
