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Can Varane turn Man Utd into title contenders?
Finally, Manchester United have their man. A deal for Raphael Varane has been agreed with Real Madrid and the player himself, with the France international set to become their third signing of the summer transfer window. And it’ll be curious to see how Sir Alex Ferguson feels about the defender, having been rejected in 2011.
Manchester United wanted to sign Varane as a replacement for Rio Ferdinand a decade ago.
Ferguson had done his homework on the player, who was strutting his stuff for Lens at the time, and was delighted with what he saw.
The Scot sent David Gill on a mission to get a deal for Varane done yet, in the end, the player ended up moving to Spain with Real Madrid instead.
That then riled the Scot who, writing in his autobiography, explained his unhappiness at Real Madrid signing the defender from ‘under their noses’.
“I hurtled down on the train from Euston to Lille to sign the young French defender Raphael Varane,” he said.
“David Gill was getting into the finer points of the contract with Lens when Zinedine Zidane got wind of this and somehow scooped him up for Real Madrid from under our noses.”
Manchester United icon Sir Alex Ferguson was furious at Raphael Varane transfer snub (Image: GETTY)
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“I know Sir Alex was very, very close to signing him and this time around we’ve got him at the other end of his career.
“He’s proved over his whole career what a good person he is, first of all. [He's a] professional and he's won all there is to win.”
With Varane following Jadon Sancho to Old Trafford, Solskjaer feels the Glazers have shown ambition.
“I’m very happy getting both our players in,” he said.
“First of all, the club has shown ambition with getting one of the most exciting young forwards in world football [Jadon Sancho], and one of the most respected centre-backs and one of the most winning centre-backs in the world.
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Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is delighted with Raphael Varane transfer (Image: GETTY)
“With him in, we’ve got different ways of playing of course, and I can see different ways of playing with Raphael. I can't wait to get him in and hopefully we can get that sorted as soon as.”
On a medical, the 48-year-old then added: “From what I know, the club is working on the quickest possible solution to get everything sorted.
“I don't know the timescale on it yet. Of course, there is a visa coming into England, with Brexit and quarantining.
“Everything has to be done as quick as possible, but by the book.”
Meanwhile, talkSPORT’S Terry Gibson has shut down Danny Mills for comments made about Varane.
Mills insisted the Frenchman has only played ‘eight-ish tough games a season’ in a claim that sparked an angry backlash.
Manchester United signed Phil Jones instead of Raphael Varane in 2011 (Image: GETTY)
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And Gibson said: “I’ve been looking at what Danny said and you look at that direct and physical approach that he’s describing in the Premier League – it doesn’t exist anymore.
“The notion that there are only a few tough games in a LaLiga season certainly now more than ever doesn’t apply any more. It’s a much more competitive league – Villarreal finished seventh last season and took care of Arsenal and Manchester United in the Europa League.
“Raphael Varane is a supreme centre-back and could possibly be the best ever centre-back to play in the Premier League.
“He’s a sensational footballer, I’m not sure anyone’s got the status he has in the Premier League or ever has had in the Premier League regarding honours won.
“I think we should be more respectful of opposing leagues, they are to the Premier League. In Spain they hold it in high regard, they’re almost envious of the commercial success and the brand associated with the Premier League.
“They don’t denigrate the league, they think it’s a competitive league with great teams, great players, great coaches an I think we need to start doing that with other leagues around Europe as well.”