Transfer Centre

Raphael Varane 'not considering Manchester United exit for Saudi Arabia'

By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 27 November 2023

Varane 'not considering Man United exit for Saudi Arabia'

Defender Raphael Varane reportedly has no intention of leaving Manchester United for the Saudi Pro League during the January transfer window.

Manchester United defender Raphael Varane reportedly has little interest in a transfer to the Saudi Pro League.

When United were able to tempt the World Cup winner to Old Trafford in August 2021, it was regarded as one of their best pieces of business for some time.

However, the 30-year-old has gone on to have a mixed impact since leaving Real Madrid, making a total of 64 starts and 11 substitute outings in all competitions.

Injuries have impacted on the France international's amount of game time, yet so has the preferences of head coach Erik ten Hag who does not see Varane as a certain starter.

Varane has featured for just 340 minutes in the Premier League during 2023-24, with his only start since the beginning of September being in a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.

Manchester United's Raphael Varane heads at goal against Crystal Palace on September 30, 2023 © Reuters

In the last five top-flight fixtures, Varane has been named as a substitute, playing just 18 minutes across three outings and remaining unused in the other two.

One of those fixtures was Sunday's 3-0 victory over Everton, with the partnership of Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire helping United to a third league clean sheet in a row.

While Varane may be viewed as first in line to be recalled to the backline in the event of an injury or suspension, Ten Hag prefers continuity over rotation, something which may further restrict the player's game time.

Nevertheless, according to The Athletic, Varane would not necessarily jump at the chance to leave the Theatre of Dreams if a lucrative offer came his way.

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

The report suggests that United would give consideration to any realistic offers courtesy of their issues with remaining on the right side of FFP.

Clubs in Saudi Arabia are best placed to make such bids, yet it is claimed that Varane is currently not tempted to make the switch to the Middle East.

Of high-profile European clubs, Bayern Munich have been the most heavily linked, but it is unclear whether the Bundesliga giants would be able to afford Varane at the midway point of the campaign.

Varane has just over 19 months remaining on his existing terms and a contract renewal is seemingly currently out of the question with both parties.