Manchester United are preparing to clean house in the summer transfer window, and while many fans hope that cleaning of house includes manager Erik ten Hag, INEOS’ biggest key seems to be parting ways with expensive veterans.
The best of those players on the transfer shortlist, so to speak, is upcoming free agent Raphael Varane, who joined Manchester United from Real Madrid after the 2020/21 season.
Although Varane brought an upgrade of class to the Manchester United back line, the 2023/24 season has exposed the fact that Varane is no longer an elite center back.
He was on the decline in the 2020/21 season, which is why Real Madrid were so eager to sell him, as they saw Eder Militao was already a better center back.
Varane is still an above-average player, but at his wages, Manchester United know they are better off letting him go for free in order to spend it on an up-and-coming player like Jarrad Branthwaite or Edmond Tapsoba.
According to a report from Turkish outlet Milliyet, historic Istanbul-based club Galatasaray are now among the teams interested in signing Raphael Varane on a free transfer.
Manchester United are not interested in offering Varane a new contract, and it seems like the only clubs interested are in Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
At 31 and with a worrying injury record in recent years, Varane is no longer seen as an attractive option by the top clubs who could afford his wages.
For Varane, the best option may be a club like Galatasaray or one of many in Saudi Arabia that values spending on veteran big names. Varane could be an asset for those clubs, but it appears his days at the elite, Champions League level are over.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He has been an editor for NFL Spin Zone, Daily DDT for pro wrestling, Autzen Zoo covering the Oregon Ducks, Musket Fire covering the New England Patriots, The Real Champs covering Real Madrid, Old Juve covering Juventus, Rush The Kop covering Liverpool, and Release The Knappen covering Schalke. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.