The Frenchman's dominant display at Anfield last Sunday made a mockery of his recent removal from the starting line-up
On Thursday morning, BILD claimed that Real Madrid were interested in re-signing Raphael Varane because of the loss of a second centre-back to a torn ACL, with David Alaba having just joined Eder Militao on the sidelines with a season-ending injury.
If Real are even remotely interested in bringing the Frenchman back to the Santiago Bernabeu, Varane and his people need to do whatever he can to make it happen.
As if anyone needs reminding, Varane arrived in the Spanish capital in 2011 as an unproven teenager. He left a legend, having won all there was to win at club level and formed one of the great central defensive duos with Sergio Ramos.
At Old Trafford, though, he is now in and out of the team, often dropped in favour of Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans – the ultimate insult for any centre-back, and testament to the terrible decision-making of Erik ten Hag, who is clearly on borrowed time as Manchester United manager
Getty Images'I feel like I'm suffocating'
Despite his fine form for France during last year's run to the World Cup final, Varane announced his retirement from international football in February because he felt he had reached breaking point.
"The very highest level is like a washing machine, you play all the time and you never stop," he explained. "Right now, I feel like I’m suffocating and that the player is gobbling up the man."
Consequently, he felt compelled to ease the mental and physical strain placed upon him by an increasingly congested schedule by reducing his playing time.
As it transpired, he need not have bothered. Varane has been afforded plenty of time for rest and recuperation this season – albeit not by choice.
AdvertisementGettyRelegated to the role of substitute
Varane began the campaign as United's first-choice centre-back, which was hardly surprising given the role he had played in the club finishing third last season.
There was even talk of him succeeding Maguire as captain, with his fellow centre-back seemingly destined to leave Old Trafford during the summer.
However, after missing three games through injury in September – all of which United lost, conceding 10 times in the process – Varane was shockingly relegated to the role of substitute.
Although he continued to feature in the Champions League, the Frenchman saw just 18 minutes of game time in the Premier League between October and the middle of December.
Getty 'Tactics'
There were widespread reports of a rift between the player and his manager, rumours that Varane's bizarre demotion was one of the reasons why the United dressing room had allegedly begun to lose faith in Ten Hag.
The Dutchman insisted there had been no falling-out, though, succinctly stating ahead of the Premier League clash with Manchester City in October that it was simply a question of "tactics".
It was claimed that Ten Hag didn't feel Varane was proficient enough passing the ball with his left foot to play on the left-hand side of defence, and that both Victor Lindelof and Evans were deemed better replacements for the injured Lisandro Martinez (even though neither favours their left foot), given Luke Shaw was sidelined for a significant spell too.
Getty Two 'brilliant' players
Varane, then, was essentially left competing for a starting spot with Maguire on the right side and Ten Hag explained: "When you have to decide between two players who are brilliant – Varane and Maguire – then you have to make a choice."
Ten Hag went with Maguire, who has been enjoying something resembling a return to form, as underlined by his November Player of the Month win (a sympathy vote if ever there was one), but the error-prone Englishman has never been in Varane's class, and never will be.
The fact that he was being picked ahead of the World Cup winner was astounding – and made to look utterly ridiculous at Anfield on Sunday.
