Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane is reportedly considering his future and could leave the Los Blancos in the summer.
Real Madrid have brought back their three-time Champions League winner Zinedine Zidane as their new manager after the failure of Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari to bring more consistency to the result. It is understood that the French International left the club post the Champions League triumph in Kiev due to the say the lack of power he has in deciding the transfers at the club.
During his three-and-a-half-year stay, Zidane did not have much to change as the whole side was peaking under the Frenchman. When the 46-year-old wanted plenty of changes in the last summer, the board denied his request which resulted in an immediate resignation.
The likes of Gareth Bale, Dani Ceballos, and Mateo Kovacic are likely to leave the club after the conclusion of the current season. However, they could be dealt with a huge blow as their star defender Raphael Varane is reportedly considering his future as he wants a new challenge, reported by the French publication L’Equipe.
Zinedine Zidane and Raphael Varane have enjoyed a great relationship after the 46-year-old convinced him to join the Los Blancos from RC Lens in 2011. However, it is understood that that great understanding will not be enough to keep him at the club.
The 25-year-old has always taken a meticulous approach, to most things in his life. He feels that after 8 seasons at Santiago Bernabeu and 14 titles won, he feels it’s time to move on for a new adventure.
He signed for the club when he was 18 and has established himself as one of the best defenders in the French football history. After three consecutive Champions League triumphs, a World Cup, and 7th placed Ballon d’Or finish, Raphael Varane has been bang average this campaign.
A shortened pre-season due to the World Cup triumph, the French international along with his teammates have not been able to adapt to the methods of three different managers this season. On the desire of coming to the end of a cycle at Real Madrid, Varane is reportedly wanting to move to another top league in order to test himself and thrive in a new environment.
But, Varane has decided anything yet as he continues to assess his options because very few clubs would able to meet the demands of Real Madrid as he is only 25 years of age, his incredible success and bags of experience which could make him the world’s costliest defender.
Additionally, the French outlet added that the World Cup winner would cost between 100 million and 140 million euros. England side Manchester United have been keeping track of Raphael Varane since his teenage days at RC Lens.
Apart from the Red Devils, the likes of Bayern Munich and Juventus are actively seeking for a center-back in the transfer market.
Various other clubs have shown interest on the French International, but Varane wants time to sort out things and assimilate much information as possible before taking a decision. Zidane’s return could prove to be vital in keeping him at the club, but there is a chance that his head would have been turned already.
With Sergio Ramos and Marcelo aging, Varane is seen as the next player to take over the captain’s armband at Santiago Bernabeu. New manager Zidane will be doing everything to keep him at the club, but it could be a grapple if he is adamant about a departure as there will be plenty of suitors.
