Transfer Centre

Zinedine Zidane plays down Raphael Varane exit talk

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 31 March 2019

Zinedine Zidane is calm about the future of Raphael Varane as he feels the rumoured Manchester United target is "happy" at Real Madrid.

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has said that he expects Raphael Varane to remain at the Bernabeu and become an even better player.

The French centre-back has seen his future called into question in recent months, most recently being linked with a move to Manchester United.

Varane was previously targeted by United when Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho were in charge, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is also rumoured to like the look of him.

Zidane insists that the 25-year-old's journey in the Spanish capital is not over just yet, though, as he is "happy" at the club.

"That feeling is positive, he knows what he has done here and it is normal that there are rumours that they want him, but I see him well here, he is the fourth captain here and his progression here is not over," he told reporters.

"Anyway there is a lot of talk, people can say and write and everyone can think and what the player thinks and he's been here for eight years and so far he has done phenomenally, and happy, and stuck, and not as has been spoken lately."

Varane, left out of Madrid's squad to face Huesca on Sunday evening, has also been linked with Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus of late.