Raphael Varane has previously hinted he prefers life at Manchester United to Real Madrid.
Recent reports have linked Varane with a return to former club Real Madrid following the news that David Alaba will be out for the remainder of the season after the Austrian ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament. United signed the Frenchman from the La Liga giants for a fee of £42m in 2021, although he could depart for nothing when his contract expires at the end of the season.
The Manchester Evening News understands Varane is hopeful United will trigger the one-year extension in his contract although the club are open to him departing in the January transfer window.
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Speaking ahead of the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle United last season, Varane looked forward to what’s next, after having spent a tough decade fighting to stay on top during his 10 years at Real Madrid. The defender hinted it is ‘better’ when helping a club grow, rather than remaining at the top.
“Honestly, it’s better when you’re going up,” he told the Manchester Evening News. “When you are on the top the only thing that can change is to disappoint. You can’t do anything better because you’re already there. When you can grow with the club and the team, that’s a great feeling.
“With Madrid my best memories were when we were climbing and on the journey rather than the arrival.”
When Varane and Real won the title in 2012 after four years, things started to improve significantly. Once the first trophy was won, more success came their way, including getting the Champions League title four times in five years.
Varane believes that winning the first title changed the squad’s belief, a feeling that seems prophetic for this United team. Despite having several players with impressive CVs, they have struggled so far this term.
“I was speaking with Sergio Ramos about it in Madrid, and when we start winning, we won a lot – but before that it was the same,” he shared. “We went years without at Madrid, it was a very long time, and when we won it changed not the mentality, but the belief. When you win you start to think ‘okay, we did it, so now we can do it again.’
“It’s about the winning mentality and when you start to win you just want to win and nothing else. It doesn’t mean that when you aren’t winning you don’t want to. But you do believe more that it is possible and sometimes you need a bit of luck as well. And when you are more confident you bring the luck with you. It’s a positive cycle.”
United are currently struggling to break their boom and bust cycle of recent years despite winning at Wembley last season. Manager Erik ten Hag is under pressure following the disappointment of this season, but Varane could be just the player to help them get back on top.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
