Manchester United center back Raphael Varane (30-France) could be reunited for a third time with former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo (38-Portugal). Both have seen their playing time drastically reduced this season. More recently, he was reportedly considering a move away from the club amid speculation of a ‘falling out’ with coach Erik ten Hagg (53-Netherlands), with a big-money offer from Alnas.
Multiple media outlets including Britain’s ‘Manchester Evening News’ and ‘Football 365’ reported on Aug. 8 (KST), “Varane is likely to leave United in the upcoming January window. He is currently being courted by Alnasr and is considering reuniting with Ronaldo, with whom he played in the past,” and “United will not prevent him from leaving in the winter transfer window if he is offered a suitable fee.”
If Varane leaves United next January, it will be two and a half years since he arrived at Old Trafford in August 2021. At the same time, if he accepts Alnasr’s offer, he will be reunited with Ronaldo for the third time, having played for both Real Madrid and United. He would also be reunited with Alex Telles (30, Brazil) and form new friendships with Sadio Mane (31, Senegal) and Emmrecht Laporte (29, Spain).
Varane’s career has been in flux of late. Since arriving in a United shirt in 2021, he has been an ‘integral part’ of the backline, except when injuries have kept him out, but this season he has seen his playing time drop dramatically. In fact, he’s played just 10 games in all competitions, with only four of them starting and playing full-time. His average playing time is 57 minutes.
Baran in particular has lost out to Jonny Evans (35, Northern Ireland), who returned to his ‘home’ club after an eight-year absence, following the signing of Harry Maguire (30, England) on a short-term, one-year deal, who until last summer’s transfer window had been labeled a ‘priority for release’. In fact, he was left out of the starting lineup for the Manchester derby last month. In the midst of this, he considered parting ways with Van Gaal after United conceded three goals in the defeat, questioning the manager’s decision.
Already, reports are suggesting that Varane is sitting down with his agent to discuss a potential move in the January winter transfer window and is considering offers from a number of Saudi clubs, including Al-Nasr. If he receives an “astronomical” offer, which would be particularly difficult to turn down, he would be expected to make a move immediately. United are also not expected to block Baran’s departure, adding further weight to the move.
“United will consider all offers for Varane, who has attracted interest 토토 from Al-Nasr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad Club and Al Ahli in the winter transfer window,” the Manchester Evening News reported, adding that the club “have already decided internally that Varane’s best days are behind him and that it would be prudent to sell him in the near future.”
The Frenchman is considered to be a “world-class” center back. He left Real Madrid in the summer of 2021 for a new challenge and joined United after considering a number of destinations. He was immediately thrust into the first-team and has been a regular fixture at the back ever since. In total, he has played 72 games (2 goals – 1 assist).
