Manchester United have had a strange season during Erik ten Hag’s second year in charge.
They’ve had to deal with numerous injury problems, off-pitch antics and a ridiculously packed schedule which has led to a somewhat disappointing campaign so far.
There have been some shining lights. The likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho have been flickers of hope for a brighter Manchester United future.
But looking to the future, there may be a few players on their way out of Old Trafford in the summer. One of these could be Raphael Varane – who United fans have just can’t agree on at the moment.
Some Manchester United fans desperate for Raphael Varane to stay
The Frenchman looks destined to be leaving in the summer transfer window.
United declined to trigger the one-year option in Varane’s deal as he would have remained on the same salary.
This means he’ll become a free agent at the end of the season, not great considering we paid £41m for his services – but some United fans are now massively against this. They shared thoughts on X.
‘Sickening if United let Varane walk out the club for free to get his wages of the books,’ a first states.
A second adds: ‘Varane has been our best player for a while now, needs to be said. Leaving on a free would be a disaster.’
‘I pity those who say Varane and Casemiro have to leave. You don’t replace those types of players that easily,’ a third says.
Others aren’t as convinced about Varane…
Some Manchester United fans are arguing otherwise. They say:
A first writes: ‘How standards have fallen off, he’s good but not enough, he’s getting sloppy and loses the ball a lot.’
‘Go out and sign a quality centre back. Varane is past his prime,’ a second says.
Another adds: ‘If he doesn’t leave on a free, he’ll never leave. Enough of this weird emotional attachment which prevents any actual rebuild from happening. There are solid, more technical, and younger RCBs on the market.’
A final states: ‘Even if Varane is the best defender in the world which he is not, his inability to play out from the back and his slow nature means he can’t be useful long term, we have gone past the era of stop-gap signings, we need players for 5 to 10yrs, its a project, Varane must leave.’
United in Focus verdict on Raphael Varane
It’s a tough one – we can see both sides. On one hand, Varane’s performances have been immense in recent weeks, and it would be a shame to let a player of his magnitude go for free.
However, looking to the future – he is not a long-term option and will only get worse. His wage is also a huge issue.
Our ideal scenario is if they can somehow agree to lower his wages and keep him on – but that’s easier said than done. What do we think will happen? We don’t think he’ll be a Manchester United player next season.
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