RAPHAEL VARANE’S time as a Manchester United player will come to and end in June, according to reports.
SunSport revealed last November how Varane was set to depart Old Trafford this coming summer.
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Varane, 30, suffered another injury setback that will see him sidelined for several weeks after he was diagnosed with a muscle injury against Chelsea earlier this month.
And Man Utd‘s new directors now look set to pull the plug this summer.
According to the Daily Mail’s Chris Wheeler, the Frenchman is now “likely” to leave the Red Devils.
Man Utd are not prepared to offer Varane an extension on his current colossal wage package worth £340,000 a week.
Jettisoning, the former Real Madrid stars wages – the second highest at the club behind the £350,000 a week (£18.2m a year) earned by Casemiro – will see the Red Devils save £17,680,000 a year.
Varane fell out of favour under Erik ten Hag earlier this season before playing his way back into the team.
However, his time at Man Utd has been dogged by injury.
The World Cup winning defender has been open about his condition and the physical and mental fatigue he has felt due to the incredible match loads put onto players in the modern day.
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A recent interview with L’Equipe saw him reveal how he suffered “abnormal fatigue” following a match where he performed a number of headers.
He said: “During a match, I performed a series of headers, and in the days that followed I felt abnormal fatigue as well as severe eye fatigue.
“I reported to the staff that I was not fit to play and they strongly recommended that I not play.
“I took a test from a doctor, the results of which were passed on to the staff and I did not play the following match.
“But if I hadn’t asked to take these tests, I probably would have been lined up a few days later and, to be honest, I felt bad that I didn’t play the next game because of a migraine.”
Transfers to Juventus in Italy and Saudi Arabia have both been reported in the case of Varane’s exit.
Willy Kambwala wants to become rock at the back for Man Utd… but Erik ten Hag probably won’t be around to see it
By Ken Lawrence
ERIK TEN HAG insists he is still the right man to take Manchester United forward.
The Dutchman believes he can recapture their former glories, despite escaping for the second time in a row what could have been humiliation by Liverpool at the weekend.
And teen Willy Kambwala revealed his “passion” is to become a rock at the heart of United’s defence after making just his second start of the season against their bitter rivals.
United trailed 1-0 at half-time on Sunday but fought back to take a 2-1 lead before Mo Salah’s 84th-minute equaliser from the penalty spot.
Ten Hag was pleased with the second-half performance, declaring it “another signal and message for the future,” before adding, “the team and squad have high potential.”
Yet the Old Trafford chief sounds more and more like he has his finger stuck in a leaky dyke and does not think it is going to hold.
Comeback or not, United still threw away a lead for the third time in eight days following their 4-3 defeat to Chelsea and 1-1 draw with Brentford — both deep into injury time.
And his body language suggests he expects to be crossing it to go back to Holland with his P45 this summer
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Replacements have already been talked about heavily in the market however, with the likes of Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite and Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo both said to be among targets.
In the meantime, 19-year-old Willy Kambwala will add to the already extensive amount of minutes Man Utd teens have had this season due to himself and Harry Maguire being the club’s only fit centre-backs.
Following their purchase of a 27.7 per cent stake in Man Utd, Ineos have been handed control of the sporting operations at the club.
This has started with an overhaul behind the scenes, with Omar Berrada coming in as CEO and moves for Dan Ashworth as sporting director and Jason Wilcox as technical director in the works.
Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe has met with Newcastle director Amanda Staveley in a bid to push through Ashworth’s move, with the move currently on hold as the two clubs try to agree a compensation deal.
Inside Ratcliffe’s Man Utd plans
Everything you need to know as Sir Jim Ratcliffe takes charge at Manchester United…
