Raphael Varane Shows Killer Mentality As He Relishes Manchester United Competition For Places

Looking back on the day Raphael Varane’s move to Manchester United was officially announced in the summer of 2021, you can’t help but feel like there is so much still yet to come from the French defender. 

Varane completed his £34 million switch to Old Trafford moments before United’s Premier League opener against bitter rivals Leeds. An impromptu announcement which sent the jam packed stadium into a frenzy followed. 

The excitement in the ground was palpable that day. United really had just secured the services of Jadon Sancho and followed it up with a World Champion defender. The optimism was through the roof. Having finished second the season prior, Varane was seen as the guy who would shore up the defence and lead United back to the promised land. 

A year removed from that day, things haven’t quite gone to plan for United and the 29-year-old Frenchman. Month by month, United’s season continued to crumble and the former Real Madrid man never had too much freedom from nagging injury woes. 

Every time Varane looked like he was over his fitness issues and ready to properly cement himself in the side, knocks inevitably had to happen. But, in spite of that – being the calibre of player that he is – Varane looked excellent in the time he had on the pitch. He made United better. 

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The four-time Champions League winner’s impact was clear although everyone, including the player, would have wished it resulted in a Premier League finish higher than sixth. However, even after the shortcomings, Varane insists he has no regrets about coming to the Theatre of Dreams. 

“Absolutely not,” he said when asked about that by the BBC. “In football, you have to challenge yourself and try to improve. I wanted to live another experience after 10 years in the same place. The Premier League is absolutely fantastic and Manchester United are a great club. There was no doubt about my decision.” 

Varane took to English football like a duck to water. On paper, he always had all the predispositions to be a success in the Premier League and sure enough, he projected that into reality. Varane practices the art of defending and when available, it’s a joy to watch him perform. 

He and United had a great start to the 2021/22 season. However, things started unravelling around the time the defender picked up his first injury in October. 

There was a spell where United lost four out of five Premier League games while Varane was tending to the groin issue initially, and then a hamstring problem that followed shortly thereafter. The only game the Reds won, a 3-0 away victory at Tottenham, was when the Frenchman returned into the fold. 

Varane’s impact not only on the pitch, but also as a leader off it, cannot be overstated. Players like that breed winning into those around them. United will be desperate for the 29-year-old to stay off the treatment table in Erik ten Hag’s first season in charge. He only made 29 appearances in all competitions last term. 

The new United boss is set to have a selection dilemma at the heart of his defence with Lisandro Martinez waiting back in Manchester to link up with his new teammates. 

The Argentine looks nailed on to start as the left-sided centre back, leaving Ten Hag with as many as four players to choose from to be his partner. It will be interesting to see what duo does line out against Brighton, on August 7, to kick off United’s Premier League campaign. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Varane is relishing the challenge. 

He said: “Competition is good for the team. The team will always be better with competition. Every great club is like this. If everyone wants to fight for the team, that’s a good thing.” 

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On that subject, United’s No. 19 was also asked about the captain, Harry Maguire. His response: “Harry is a very important player for us. He’s the captain and obviously he has a lot of good qualities.” 

Varane is not accustomed to losing. Not competing in the Champions League is an even more foreign feeling to him. Health permitting, you’d figure he will want to have a say in United’s resurgence under Ten Hag. He did not come to Old Trafford to sit on the bench. 

However, the Frenchman has had the worst start to pre-season possible. United have won all three of their games at the halfway point of the preparation period, but Varane featured in just one of them – the 4-0 win against Liverpool – before picking up a knock. 

The 29-year-old defender is set to return into the matchday squad for Saturday’s fixture against Aston Villa which will conclude the Reds’ tour of Thailand and Australia. As the team plane hits the runway ahead of a return to Manchester, Varane will be hoping that his injury woes get left behind far down under.