French defender Raphael Varane could reportedly leave Manchester United in the January transfer window.
The centre-back, 30, formed a strong partnership alongside Lisandro Martinez at Old Trafford last season but has fallen down the pecking order this term. Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans have been preferred in central defence in Martinez’s injury absence, with Raphael Varane starting just one of the club’s last eight games.
According to Italian reporter Nicolo Schira, Raphael Varane could seek to leave Manchester United next month following a lack of game time and strained relationship with manager Erik ten Hag.
Since the beginning of October, Varane has managed only 18 minutes of football and was on the bench in Man United’s latest 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth in the Premier League. The Red Devils are understood to be open to cashing in on the French defender in January and reinvesting the money on a new centre-back following their defensive struggles this campaign while a loan move can also be opted for in the short-term for its higher success rate as far as completion of January transfers go.
That said, here are the three clubs who could target a loan move for Raphael Varane.
#Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich have been heavily linked with a move for Varane since last month, and their interest in the defender could be accelerated following the 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga last weekend. The centre-back pairing of Kim Min-jae and Dayot Upamecano were torn to shreds by Frankfurt, with the defeat leaving Thomas Tuchel’s side four points off the top.
An experienced player like Varane could come in and fix Bayern’s defensive issues. The former France international’s salary could be a stumbling block for the Bavarian giants, however, with the centre-half thought to be among Man United’s highest earners on £350,000-a-week. So, they could propose a loan deal for Varane in January.
#Al-Ittihad
In contrast to Bayern, Varane’s wages are certainly not going to be a problem for the cash-rich Al-Ittihad, who are currently fifth in the Saudi Pro League.
Al-Ittihad made some big-profile signings such as Karim Benzema, Fabinho and N’Golo Kante in the summer to bolster their squad and they could dip in the market again to back newly-appointed Marcelo Gallardo. While they have been solid defensively, a player in the mould of Raphael Varane could make a huge difference to Marcelo Gallardo’s side.
Varane would bring leadership and experience to Al-Ittihad’s backline, boosting the club’s hopes of enjoying a strong second half of the campaign.
#AC Milan
AC Milan have not enjoyed the ideal first quarter of the season as they lie third in the Serie A table, nine points behind league leaders Inter Milan. Despite conceding only 18 goals in 15 games, they haven’t looked defensively as robust and stable as last campaign. Thus, the Rossoneri could do well with defensive reinforcements in January, and a defender in the mould of Raphael Varane should help.
Varane has been unlucky with injury problems at Man United since arriving from Real Madrid in 2021. The Frenchman has lost a few yards of pace in recent years, thus, struggling to cope with the high-intensity action of Premier League football. A move to a relatively more tactics-based league like Serie A would suit him, and the 30-year-old’s potential acquisition may help Milan tighten their defence in the second half of the campaign.