Manchester United’s defensive short-comings are well documented by this point. If Louis Van Gaal has one priority during the January transfer window, it will be to sign a centre-back or two (and a full-back whilst he’s at it).
This is something that he should have done during the summer, but that’s almost besides the point at this stage. He’ll be given another shot in about a months time. Let’s hope that he doesn’t miss out this time around.
This brings me to The Metro‘s claim that Manchester United are gearing up to ‘anger’ their London rivals, Chelsea, by signing one of their top transfer targets. This begs the question: how angry can Jose Mourinho and co. get at this stage? They’re cruising their way to Premier League glory this season and there’s very little that The Red Devils can do about it. One player makes very little difference in the short-term.
But in the long-term, one player could have a huge impact at Old Trafford. The player in question is Real Madrid starlet, Raphael Varane. Since breaking through at the Bernabeu the Frenchman’s reputation has sky-rocketed.
He may be young, but he’s already garnered a decent amount of experience and it’s clear that he’s a top defender. He’s tall and powerful, positions himself well and makes smart decisions. Ex-Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho is known to be a fan. Why wouldn’t Manchester United be interested, especially given the current state of their defense?
Of course, talent doesn’t come cheap nowadays. The aforementioned source suggests that Raphael Varane could cost Manchester United as much as £19m. That’s no small fee, but it represents the player’s fair market value. If Varane continues to develop at his current rate, he could soon blossom into a £30-40m player. In that sense, he would make for a good investment.
And if this deal does happen to irk Jose Mourinho in some fashion, then all the better, right?
What’s your take? Would Raphael Varane be a good choice for Manchester United?
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