Man Utd reveal Raphael Varane’s ‘departure’ decision ahead of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s summer overhaul
Manchester United have confirmed that France international Raphael Varane will leave the Premier League giants this summer.
The Red Devils paid around £34m to sign Varane from Real Madrid before the 2021/22 campaign. At the time, the 31-year-old was viewed to be one of the best centre-backs in the world so this appeared to be a major coup for the Premier League outfit.
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But injuries have got the better of Varane during his three seasons at Man Utd as he has failed to make more than 25 Premier League appearances in any of his three years at Old Trafford.
The experienced defender has been heavily linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League ahead of the summer window and it’s now been confirmed that he will depart Man Utd upon the expiry of his current contract in the summer.
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After an article on Man Utd’s official website revealed Varane has ‘announced his departure’, the defender said: “I’ll see you all at Old Trafford to say goodbye for the last game at home this season.
“It’s going to be a very emotional day for me.”
Varane has missed Man Utd’s last six Premier League games with a muscle injury. In a recent interview, he revealed that his time at Old Trafford has been blighted by concussions.
“The first time I heard about [micro-concussions] was this season when specialists came in to talk to us about it … Often, as a player, we don’t understand and we don’t even think about doing a test,” Varane told reporters.
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“Earlier this season, I headed the ball repeatedly during a match for Man United and felt abnormally tired in the following days, as well as having some eye fatigue.
“I reported it to the staff, who strongly recommended that I don’t play, and I took a test, which meant that I missed the next match.”
He added: “As footballers playing at the highest level, we are used to pain, we are a bit like soldiers, tough guys, symbols of physical strength, but these symptoms are almost invisible.
“If your leg hurts and you limp, everyone sees it. But with head injuries, it immediately feels weak to say that you are tired, that you have migraines or eye fatigue … So at first, we tell ourselves that it will pass.”
Varane will not be alone in leaving Man Utd this summer with new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe expected to oversee a major summer overhaul. Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes are each being heavily linked with moves elsewhere.
