Manchester United have been tipped to offload centre-back Raphael Varane in January. And one particular Erik ten Hag dressing room message has left the France international in an awkward spot, with reports suggesting the 30-year-old isn’t happy to sit on the bench at Old Trafford.
United shelled out an initial £34million to prise Varane away from Real Madrid in 2021 and handed him a four-year deal in the north west. The Frenchman has gone on to rack up 75 appearances for the Red Devils and helped the club win the Carabao Cup and cement their return to the Champions League last season.
But Varane has been hampered by injuries this term and now appears to have lost his place in Ten Hag’s starting XI. The player has failed to start his team’s last five Premier League matches, including the derby day defeat to Manchester City at the end of last month.
Harry Maguire, who was almost sold in the summer, appears to have climbed above Varane in the defensive pecking order, while 35-year-old Jonny Evans has also been preferred to the 2018 World Cup winner in recent matches.
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And Ten Hag sent a strong message to Varane earlier this month when he heaped praise on the centre-backs who have been chosen over the ex-Real Madrid star.
According to ESPN, Maguire and Evans were singled out for special mention by Ten Hag in the dressing after the Red Devils had defeated Fulham 1-0 at the beginning of November. The outlet also claims the United manager is particularly impressed with Maguire’s attitude since he was stripped of the captaincy in the summer.
Recent reports have suggested various Saudi Arabian clubs are interested in signing Varane. And a source close to the player has revealed that, although nothing has been decided, the four-time Champions League winners wants to play regularly.
Despite snubbing Varane in recent weeks, Ten Hag has maintained there are no underlying problems between him and the player. “Absolutely not,” Ten Hag exclaimed after being asked if the pair had an issue.
And addressing Varane’s absence from the starting line-up for the Manchester derby, the 53-year-old added: “As I said, it is about tactical reasons why I chose these partnerships. I think Harry and Jonny did well. What I said last year, Harry didn’t play a lot, so I was very happy with Rapha’s performances. I have always been happy with his performance. But in this moment, Harry is playing very well and there is internal competition.”
