Manchester United

Raphael Varane 'accepting Erik ten Hag decision to bench him'

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 13 November 2023

Manchester United defender Raphael Varane reportedly accepts Erik ten Hag's decision to start him on the bench for six of their last seven Premier League games.

Manchester United centre-back Raphael Varane has reportedly come to terms with Erik ten Hag's decision to relegate him to the bench in recent weeks.

The 30-year-old arrived at Old Trafford in the summer of 2021 boasting European and international pedigree, having won four Champions Leagues with Real Madrid and the World Cup with France in 2018.

Varane's first season at Man United was a turbulent one as the Red Devils struggled under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, but he was a stalwart of Man United's successful 2022-23 squad.

Joining forces with Lisandro Martinez in the heart of defence, Varane - hailed as one of the world's best defenders during his heyday - helped Man United keep a league-high 17 top-flight clean sheets, as well as collecting an EFL Cup winner's medal.

Varane also scored the winning goal in Man United's 1-0 beating of Wolverhampton Wanderers in the opening weekend of the 2023-24 season, the former France international has struggled to maintain full fitness in the early weeks of the new term.

Raphael Varane in action for France on December 14, 2022 © Reuters

Since the end of the September international break, the defender has only started one of Man United's last seven Premier League matches and was controversially left on the bench for their 3-0 loss to rivals Manchester United as Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire paired up at the back.

Varane completed 74 minutes of last week's Champions League loss to Copenhagen after Evans sustained an injury, but Victor Lindelof was preferred alongside Maguire in the backline for the weekend's visit of Luton Town.

Ten Hag's decision paid dividends, as Lindelof scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory over the Hatters, while Varane was brought off the bench for the final 11 minutes of that narrow success.

The Frenchman's recent demotion to a sporadic role has inevitably led to uncertainty surrounding his future, with Saudi Pro League clubs believed to be lining up bids for the defender in the summer.

However, Ten Hag has rubbished claims that he has had a falling-out with Varane, and according to The Athletic, the 30-year-old has accepted his manager's tactical decision to omit him from recent starting lineups.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag pictured before the match on October 21, 2023 © Reuters

Varane is still confident that he can force his way back into the first XI under Ten Hag, who has brought Maguire back in from the cold after the Englishman's exit appeared certain in the summer transfer window.

Maguire was fifth-choice centre-back below Varane, Martinez, Lindelof and emergency option Luke Shaw last season, and a move to West Ham United was expected to go through after he was stripped of the armband.

However, the two parties could not come to an agreement, and Maguire - who was hitherto lambasted for a series of errors in the Man United backline - has turned his fortunes around with a sequence of solid performances in the autumn.

After helping the Red Devils keep successive clean sheets against Fulham and Luton, Maguire said that his decision to stay and fight for his place at Old Trafford had been vindicated, offering Varane hope of a first-team comeback.

Varane remains contracted to Man United until the end of the 2024-25 season and has recorded two goals and one assist in 74 matches for the club since his €40m (£34.9m) arrival two years ago.