Manchester United defender Raphael Varane reportedly suffers a near total breakdown in his relationship with Erik ten Hag following his demotion to a bit-part role.
Manchester United defender Raphael Varane and head coach Erik ten Hag have seen their relationship completely break down, according to a report.
The former Real Madrid and France centre-back was a crucial component of the Red Devils’ success in 2022-23, forming a strong bond with Lisandro Martinez in front of David de Gea.
Varane’s contributions helped Man United keep a league-high 17 clean sheets in the Premier League, where they finished in third place, and he also ended the campaign with an EFL Cup winners’ medal.
The 30-year-old hit the ground running at the start of the 2023-24 season too, scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the opening round of Premier League fixtures, but he has rapidly fallen out of favour.
Since battling back from a minor injury, Varane has started just one of the Red Devils’ last seven Premier League matches and was also overlooked for a place in the first XI for their 4-3 Champions League loss to Copenhagen, although he came off the bench for the injured Jonny Evans in the first half of that tie.
Across Man United’s last four league affairs with Sheffield United, Manchester City, Luton Town and Fulham, Varane has totalled a paltry 18 minutes, as Evans, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof have all been preferred at the back.
Ten Hag’s debatable selection decisions paid dividends against Fulham and Luton, where Man United kept two clean sheets in a pair of 1-0 wins, beating the Hatters thanks to a solitary Lindelof goal.
Maguire has also enjoyed an unexpected redemption arc in the heart of the Red Devils’ backline, and Varane will likely start on the bench when Man United meet Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday.
It was previously reported that Varane was accepting Ten Hag’s decision to demote him to the substitutes’ bench, but according to the Daily Mail, the Frenchman is unhappy with his situation at Old Trafford.
Varane was overlooked entirely for Man United’s 3-0 loss to Man City on October 29, and Ten Hag apparently had a “frank” exchange of views with the defender, leading to their relationship effectively becoming damaged beyond repair.
The 30-year-old’s contract with Man United expires in 2025, and he is believed to be a prime target for the Saudi Pro League amid suggestions that his time at Old Trafford will be up next summer.
German champions Bayern Munich are also said to be interested in a £25m deal during the January transfer window, but the report adds that Varane’s £340,000-a-week wages could hinder a transfer to Bavaria.
Man United shelled out £34.8m to bring Varane to the club from Real Madrid in 2021, and the former Lens youngster boasts two goals and one assist in 75 matches for the 20-time English champions in all tournaments.
Varane is not the only player to fall out with Ten Hag this season, as Jadon Sancho has spent almost three months outside of the first-team picture for publicly hitting out at the Man United coach over his omission from the squad to face Arsenal in September.
The Red Devils sit sixth in the Premier League table ahead of Sunday’s showdown with Everton, five points off the Champions League places and seven adrift of leaders Manchester City.
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