The problem, with Raphael Varane, has never been an issue of talent.
As last season’s FA Cup final victory over Man City proved, the Real Madrid legend remains one of the finest penalty-box defenders in Europe. Chuck a cross into the area and there he is, again and again, powering headers down the field just like he’s always done.
But the best ability, as they say, is availability. And that is where most of the frustration surrounding Raphael Varane’s Manchester United career lies.
A three-year spell at Old Trafford which, while far from a disappointment, still could have been so much more successful had he not spent quite so many weeks time on the treatment table.
Varane – a £34 million signing – missed around 50 games due to a series of niggling injuries between 2021 and 2024. He started only 58 of a potential 114 Premier League games.
And considering the sheer size of his wages, retaining the 31-year-old Frenchman – for all his qualities and experience – made little sense either from a sporting or a financial perspective.
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Raphael Varane’s post-Manchester United nightmare
A nightmare start to life at his new employers, meanwhile, further justifies Ineos’ decision to let Varane go on a free transfer when his contract expired at the start of July.
An injury picked up just 20 minutes into his Como debut in the Coppa Italia has not only delayed his Sdrie A debut, it has raised suggestions that his time at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia could be over before it even really begun.
Tuttomercatoweb even claim that Varane’s Como contract could be terminated. His knee issue appears to be far more serious than initially anticipated.
Varane has allegedly been left out of the club’s 25-man roster for the Serie A campaign too. Indicating that the veteran powerhouse – who spoke glowingly about Como’s ambition when he put pen to paper, could be set for months, if not an entire season, on the sidelines.
Fabregas, speaking ahead of Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Udinese, opened up on the reports indicating that Varane could be cut loose only weeks after joining the Lombardy outfit.
The former Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea playmaker insists that the decision could rest largely on Varane himself, with the World Cup winner currently undergoing treatment back in Madrid.
“Termination (of his contract)? I am not the one who can decide for them,” Fabregas tells Tuttomercatoweb. “I have to wait and respect whatever decision the individuals make.”
Como could terminate Frenchman’s contract
It remains to be seen exactly how serious Varane’s latest injury is. Or, indeed, how long he will spend out of first-team contention.
“We are waiting for him, also to understand the extent of the injury and when he will be available,” Fabregas added. “But, for the moment, he will remain in Madrid to receive treatment.
“Let’s see what can happen with Varane. It is his decision.
“We need to understand how he is and how he feels. For the moment, he has not yet recovered well and we need to wait a bit longer.”
To think, only three weeks ago, there appeared to be a very real chance that two former Man United men would be standing tall at the heart of Como’s backline.
Now, Varane’s time at the club appears to be under serious threat, while Timothy Fosu-Mensah is yet to be offered a contract despite undergoing a trial back in August.
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