After a frustrating delay in the paperwork process to acquire a visa, Raphael Varane is reportedly set to fly to Manchester today to seal his transfer.
Fabrizio Romano reports Varane will jet in and then quarantine before sealing his transfer to Manchester United.
The MEN report United hope to unveil Varane by next Wednesday.
This means Varane will not be available for the final pre-season fixture against Everton this weekend.
Varane to start the season or not?
Varane will be available to face Leeds United on the opening day of the Premier League season on August 14.
This makes the proposition of throwing Varane in a little risky, and it will depend on his fitness.
United played Harry Maguire against Chelsea two days after he signed from Leicester, but the circumstances were very different.
Maguire was already used to the Premier League, had undergone a full pre-season with Leicester, and United’s alternative was an inexperienced Axel Tuanzebe.
Varane has plenty of experience but has not even touched down in England yet, let alone sampled a pre-season match between two English clubs. He has not even yet been assigned a squad number. Victor Lindelof is available and claims to be free of his ongoing back injury.
It would not be a surprise if Lindelof starts at Old Trafford and Varane only makes his debut a week later away at Southampton, who have sold top scorer Danny Ings.
Raphael Varane: Factfile
- Teenage star
Real Madrid signed Raphael Varane from Lens in 2011 for around £8 million, beating competition from Manchester United and Arsenal.
- Real Madrid ace
Varane has gone onto play more than 300 games for Real Madrid over the past decade. He has played a part in three La Liga title wins.
- Four-time Champions League winner
Varane won his first Champions trophy at Real Madrid in 2014, playing the entire game in a win over Atletico. He won the trophy again in 2016, 2017, and 2018.
- World Cup winner
Varane helped France to win the World Cup in 2018. He scored a crucial goal in a quarter-final win over Uruguay.
- Consistent performer
Varane became a player Real could rely on. He played more than 30 La Liga games in each of the last three La Liga seasons.
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