Fabrizio Romano insists there are no current talks over a January move to Saudi Arabia for Manchester United defender Raphael Varane after he was left out of Erik ten Hag’s starting XI again.
Say what you want about the Frenchman’s suddenly limited role under Ten Hag, Raphael Varane certainly didn’t do his hopes of a return to the starting XI much good with a disastrous cameo off the bench against Copenhagen on Wednesday night.
The Manchester United boss insists that the Real Madrid icon has been dropped from the first-team for tactical reasons, Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire chosen ahead of Varane seemingly due to their superior quality in possession.
It was typical of United’s seemingly cursed campaign, then, that Varane would come on for the injured Evans in Copenhagen and then make the sort of mistake which immediately justified Ten Hag’s decision, blundering on the ball as the Red Devils turned a 2-0 and a 3-2 lead into a 4-3, albeit VAR-inspired defeat.
Raphael Varane out of favour at Manchester United
“I actually think he’s playing Maguire and Evans at centre-half because he thinks they’re the two best ball-playing centre-halves,” United legend Paul Scholes tells TNT Sport. “Which in itself is a bit of a worry.”
Varane’s lack of game time in recent weeks, coupled with his dreadful injury record, has sparked rumours linking the World Cup winner with a move to Saudi Arabia. But while there is interest from Middle Eastern clubs, Fabrizio Romano insists that, as of yet, there are no talks underway.
‘Interest from the Saudi Pro League’
“Raphael Varane has been linked with Saudi clubs,” Romano explains in his Caught Offside column. “But my understanding is that there is nothing ongoing right now. There was interest from the Saudi Pro League during the summer. But it was not even a negotiation as he wanted to stay at Manchester United.
“Despite not playing as much at the moment, I’m not hearing that anything has changed. Of course, in my view, he deserves to play more, but let’s see if that will change soon.
“For now, I’m not aware of any developments with Saudi clubs or any other possible move this January.”
Varane is still United’s finest, most natural defender but his age, his fitness, and his lack of poise in possession means 2023/24 is likely to be his last season as a United player. Particularly with Ten Hag casting his eyes over a number of talented, young, ball-playing centre-halves.
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