Raphael Varane is expected to seal his transfer to Manchester United this week.
Landing Varane is a huge coup for United, with the Real Madrid centre-back costing just £34.8 million plus add-ons.
Varane is talented enough to adjust to the Premier League with minimum fuss, and his previously successful career debuts have shown his quality adapting to new situations.
Former Premier League title winner Robert Pires believes Varane will be successful at United, even if he does expect every game to be easy.
Pires told TMW: “Yes, Raphael will certainly adapt to English football. Surely there will be matches in which he will suffer physical clashes, but he is now a player of great experience. I see him well paired with Maguire, they will form an excellent duo.”
United’s future centre-back partnership of Varane and Harry Maguire is potentially one of Europe’s best.
Varane is proven quality, while Maguire was been named in the team of the tournament at both the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020. His role in the United team is a crucial one.
Pires added that he was taken aback that Real Madrid allowed Varane to leave after letting Sergio Ramos walk out on a free.
He said: “On my part there was a bit of surprise. In my opinion, president Perez wants to renew his team, but replacing Ramos and Varane will not be easy. For sure, the signing of David Alaba is a good choice.”
Real were simply left in a weak position, with Varane’s contract expiring in a year’s time. They could not afford to lose him on a free transfer next summer.
Varane wanted a new challenge and he will get one at Old Trafford. As Pires notes, there may be some uncomfortable games and some different playing styles to get used to, but together with Maguire they should both be able to deal with the challenge.
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