Manchester United Finalizing Deal for Varane in Super Summer Window
Real Madrid central defender Raphael Varane appears set to join Manchester United in what is becoming quite the summer haul for the Red Devils. The 28-year-old center-back is entering the final year of his contract with Madrid and seems to be keen on a move away from the San Bernabeu. According to ESPN, United feels confident that the club can reduce Madrid’s evaluation of €70 million to €50 million because of the declining nature of Varane’s deal.
With the Euros just nine days away from completion, Manchester United are wasting no time in bolstering their squad for a Premier League and Champions League title run. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær is entering his fourth season at Old Trafford with little hardware to show. Despite the elite talent United possess, the club has struggled with defensive lapses and injuries that have made it difficult to compete for trophies.
The signing of French international Varane could change that. The center-back is still in his prime and is no novice when it comes to playing with elite-level talent in a backline. At Madrid, Varane won four Champions League titles with Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, and Casemiro, among others. A pairing in England between the Frenchman and Harry Maguire is a perfect balance of cerebral tactics and physicality. Solskjær’s move to secure a sure-footed center-back duo can alleviate many of the defensive lapses that have kept United from reaching true success.
With Varane in the fold, expect United to possibly press a little higher, knowing that they are secure in the back if a counterattack occurs. While the Frenchman did struggle at times in the Euros, there’s no reason to suspect that a poor and drawn out run of form is a high probability. He certainly is not a physically imposing defender, and there may be a slight adjustment period – the Premier League requires that of all entering the league – but he should fit in well with a back four at the club.
An ideal line-up with United should involve a 4-2-3-1 formation or a 4-3-3 that allows for a lot of movement along the wings. The back four will undoubtedly consist of Luke Shaw on the left, Maguire and Varane centrally, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka as the right fullback. In the midfield, a Pogba-McTominay pivot would be interesting, but Solskjær could certainly lean with the “McFred” pairing – McTominay and Fred – despite the pair’s struggles. In the attacking four, Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Edison Cavani, and newly signed Jadon Sancho would spell trouble for any team.
Despite the turmoil at the club, an excellent run of form could change the raucous calls for change to a murmur, and Solskjær has the squad to do it. It will be interesting to see where the Manchester United Varane and Maguire pairing stack up against the other center-back duos in the Premier League, but time will tell. The summer window has only just begun, and with the Red Devils making moves this early, we could see them bring in quite the haul.
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