Varane to leave Man Utd at end of season.
When Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was manager of Manchester United, Raphael Varane joined the team.
Raphael Varane, a defender for Manchester United, will depart the team at the end of the current campaign when his contract expires.
With an initial payment of roughly £34 million, the 31-year-old moved from Real Madrid in July 2021 and has since made 93 appearances.
The former France international assisted United in defeating Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final in 2023, under manager Erik ten Hag. A statement from United read, “Everyone at United thanks Rapha for his service and wishes him well for the future.”
Before joining United, Varane was a three-time La Liga champion and four-time Champions League winner at Real Madrid, managed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Before he announced his retirement from international football in February 2023, he helped France win the World Cup in 2018. It is uncertain if the center-back will be ready for United’s final three games of the season after missing the team’s 4-3 loss to Chelsea on April 4.
On Wednesday, they host Newcastle United, and on Sunday, they travel to Brighton for their final league match of the season. On Saturday, May 25, at Wembley, Ten Hag’s team—now ranked ninth in the Premier League—will take on Manchester City in the FA Cup final. “Despite the fact we have had a difficult season, I am very positive for the future,” stated Varane. “The final home game of the season will be played at Old Trafford, where I will see you to bid farewell. The new owners have a great plan in place.” And I can assure you that I will have a very emotional day.”
Three years ago, Varane was introduced to the Manchester United supporters to much fanfare. It was pregame, prior to a 5-1 victory over Leeds, during the summer that saw the additions of Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho. United appeared prepared to make a serious drive for the top. However, Varane fell short of the expectations, much as United as a whole. He is obviously a class act. But the Premier League didn’t seem to be a good fit for him.
Varane was grandly presented to Manchester United supporters three years prior. It was pregame, before a 5-1 win over Leeds in the summer when Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo were added. United seemed ready to take the top spot with a serious push. But Varane, like United in general, did not live up to the hype. He is undoubtedly a gentleman. However, it didn’t appear that he was a suitable fit for the Premier League.
Varane’s contract contained an option for a year’s extension, which United had already chosen not to exercise, but in all likelihood, the former Real Madrid player didn’t want to stay. United paid top wages and a £34 million fee for that deal, totaling over £85 million. It has not been worth the prize. Even though United won’t receive any money, Varane’s departure does provide United some leeway in terms of profit and sustainability rules because, more than likely, his replacement won’t be a multiple Champions League champion from one of the top teams in the world, therefore their pay won’t be as high.
