Transfer expert hints at Man Utd star leaving in January with ‘situation open’; two replacements named
According to Fabrizio Romano, Raphael Varane is not looking likely to leave Manchester United at the moment but the defender’s situation is “open”.
The Red Devils paid around £34m to sign Varane from Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2021.
He was once considered to be one of the best defenders in the world but he has been hampered by injuries over the past couple of seasons.
The France international currently finds himself down the pecking order at Man Utd after he (and Lisandro Martinez) were Erik ten Hag’s first-choice centre-backs in 2022/23.
Varane has suffered a major fall from grace in recent months as he has been left on the bench while Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof have been selected.
It was recently reported that Varane’s relationship with Ten Hag has ‘become strained’ and it’s been suggested that he could leave the Premier League giants in January or next summer.
Romano is of the understanding that Varane could soon start to “get more playing time” but his situation “could change” if they “receive an important proposal in January”.
“As previously reported, the message on Raphael Varane remains very clear – it’s a tactical decision for him not to start games for Manchester United at the moment,” Romano told Caught Offside.
“Erik ten Hag is very happy with Harry Maguire at the moment, with how he’s playing, with his mentality, and also Jonny Evans has partnered him well.
“Still, with Evans now injured, I’m sure we’ll see Varane getting more playing time. It’s about rotation, though of course if they receive an important proposal in January the situation could change for Varane. At the moment I’m not aware of any negotiation, but if something happens it could be an open situation in January.”
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Romano has also named Edmond Tapsoba and Jean-Clair Todibo as players who could potentially replace Varane in January.
“We know that in 2024 a top priority for United is a new centre-back, but whether it’ll be January or the summer will depend on opportunities,” Romano added.
“Many of the names I’ve mentioned on here multiple times like Edmond Tapsoba and Jean-Clair Todibo are important players for their clubs, so are unlikely to move in the middle of the season.
“If there are other opportunities, we will see, but otherwise it will be in the summer that we see an important defender targeted for United.”
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