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Man Utd sweating over '£17m transfer raid' just weeks after Erik ten Hag U-turn
January will be a crucial month for Erik ten Hag and his Manchester United squad.
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Manchester United are reportedly at risk of losing Raphael Varane this winter with two European giants positioning to strike. Erik ten Hag used the centre-back sparingly until earlier this month, and the boss is believed to be set on keeping the Frenchman until at least the end of the season.
A winner of four Champions League titles and a World Cup, Varane was naturally unhappy to be collecting dust on the bench earlier this campaign. Despite having regained Ten Hag's trust in recent weeks, the 30-year-old has only started six of United's 19 Premier League games.
Reports earlier this year indicated that United were preparing to shift Varane this winter. But in a late U-turn the Red Devils now want to keep him, and the vast experience he brings, until the summer.
Ten Hag went out of his way to clarify that publicly, stating back in November: "I don't know what you're talking about. It's rumours. [Varane is a] very important player, but there's internal competition and there should be at a top club, as we are."
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It remains to be seen whether routinely overlooking Varane has already done the damage. That could soon be put to the test as Spainsh outlet Sport claim Real Madrid have placed the defender at the top of their January wish list.
Varane spent a decade on the books in Spain before arriving at Old Trafford in 2021, and he has a history of working under current Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti. Bayern Munich waiting in the wings will spark further concern for United.
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The German giants are reportedly in a position to table a £17million bid for Varane, who is entering the final 18 months of his Red Devils contract. Both Real and Bayern are short of defensive numbers and primed to swoop for a top-class option in January.
Varane partnered Jonny Evans on Tuesday night as United put in a wayward first-half defensive display against Aston Villa. But Ten Hag inspired a dramatic turnaround in the second period, with Alejandro Garnacho scoring twice and Rasmus Hojlund bagging his first Premier League goal to ease the pressure on the manager's shoulders.
"[At half time I told them to] keep believing," Ten Hag explained to BBC's Match of the Day. "I think our fans deserved it. They are always behind us and we've had so many setbacks. So I'm really pleased from the performance of this team.
"What kind of team can handle and deal with the amount of setbacks we have had? They are resilient, they have showed character and personality to turn it around. I am very pleased with the performance of this team."