Raphael Varane’s time in the Premier League will come to an end in the summer after Manchester United announced that the World Cup winner will leave the club. The defender moved to Old Trafford from Real Madrid in 2021 and helped them to win the Carabao Cup last season but injuries have hammered his time at United. Varane has hardly featured this campaign as United have struggled for consistency.
Manchester United have announced that Raphael Varane will leave the club when his contract expires in the summer.
The former Real Madrid man arrived at Old Trafford in the summer of 2021, helping them to a Carabao Cup win last season.
However, injuries have impacted his time at the club and the Frenchman will depart the Premier League club at the end of the season. In a statement on the club website, United wrote: “Raphael Varane has confirmed he will leave Manchester United in the summer, upon the expiry of his contract, following three seasons at Old Trafford.
“The much-decorated defender arrived at the club from Real Madrid in August 2021, and was memorably unveiled in front of our home fans at the Theatre of Dreams, before the opening-weekend win over Leeds United.
“Varane has brought a great deal of class and experience to the team throughout his 93 appearances so far. The Frenchman also helped to win our first major trophy in six years, when lifting the 2023 Carabao Cup at Wembley Stadium.”Varane had previously been at Real Madrid where he won three La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey and four Champions Leagues.
He has also won 93 caps, being part of the World Cup-winning squad in 2018 and the group that got the final in 2022.
Varane did not confirm where he will move next but he has been linked to move in Saudi Arabia and MLS as well as an emotional return to boyhood club Lens in France.
United will need to add defenders in their first summer since the takeover by Ineos boss Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the future of manager Erik ten Hag is also unclear.
United are in the final of the FA Cup against rivals Manchester City but in the Premier League they face a real risk of missing out on European qualification.
With two games left for the Red Devils they sit eighth in the table, mathematically only able to finish as high as sixth.
They are three points behind Newcastle United and Chelsea – in sixth and seventh respectively – but both sides also still have two games remaining.
One of those games will see United welcome Newcastle to Old Trafford on Wednesday evening in what could be a pivotal clash.