Real Madrid could sell French defender Raphael Varane in the summer transfer window. The 27-year-old’s contract expires in 2022 and he isn’t keen on signing a new deal. Madrid are reportedly open to accepting offers from clubs this summer, as per AS. The report states that he is keen on experiencing Premier League football.
Let’s take a look at 3 Premier League clubs who should target Raphael Varane in the summer transfer window.
Manchester United
Manchester United have had an up-and-down season, much to the frustration of their fans, who were given hopes of an unexpected title charge late last year. The Red Devils have gone on a couple of sustained runs, especially away from home, but have also fallen, surprisingly, to smaller clubs in the league. One issue that United have to address in the summer to stake a claim for the top prize in England is to strengthen their defence.
They have been caught unawares plenty of times, and the lack of pace in the backline has forced Harry Maguire and co. to drop deep, which affects the rhythm of their midfield and attack. Varane could be a fantastic addition to the Manchester United starting XI and could slot in on the right side of United’s defence, alongside Maguire. The signing of Varane, as well as an attacker, could make United serious title contenders next season.
Liverpool
Liverpool have had a nightmare 2020-21 season as injuries have rocked Jurgen Klopp’s side. The German manager lost three of his first-choice centre-backs: Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, due to injury. Klopp has been forced to play youngsters, and midfielders like Jordan Henderson and Fabinho at the back, who haven’t been as solid and in the process disrupting the rhythm of the entire team.
Liverpool need to refresh their squad and they could do that by adding a World Cup-winning defender like Raphael Varane. He could be the first-choice option at the back alongside van Dijk and add depth to the Liverpool defence.
Chelsea
Chelsea have looked defensively solid since the arrival of Thomas Tuchel. His side have conceded just twice in all competitions since he joined the club in January and have yet to lose a match. His three-man defensive line has worked well so far, but the Blues need a few more additions at the heart of the defence to ensure a sustained run of form which could result in trophies down the line.
Thiago Silva has played just thrice since Tuchel took over as he has been sidelined due to injury, and there’s a possibility of him not being offered a new deal when his contract expires at the end of the season. That leaves Tuchel with just three first-team centre-backs – Kurt Zouma, Andreas Christensen, and Antonio Rudiger, none of whom can be classified as “world-class”. The three defenders have been inconsistent in all of the seasons they have played till now, which could be a worry for Chelsea and Tuchel in the future.
Signing Raphael Varane would solve a big problem in defence, and with an exciting midfield and attack, they could very well be title challengers next season, under a fantastic manager like Tuchel.