5 players Manchester United could have signed instead of Raphael Varane
Raphael Varane signed for Manchester United from Real Madrid in July 2021 for a reported ยฃ41 million.
The Frenchman is arguably one of the best defenders of his generation and has won pretty much every trophy there is at both club and country level. Having started out with Lens, Varane joined Real Madrid in 2011 and enjoyed a very succesful 10 years with the Spanish giants.
With Madrid, Varane won three La Liga titles, three Supercopas, one Copa del Rey and an incredible four UEFA Champions League titles. He has also won the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Nations League with France.
Raphaรซl Varane's career major honours:
1x World Cup
๐ซ๐ท Raphaรซl Varane's career major honours:
๐ 1x World Cup
๐ 4x Champions League
๐ 3x La Liga
๐ 1x Spanish Cup
๐ 3x Spanish Super Cup
๐ 4x Club World Cup
๐ 3x UEFA Super Cup
๐ฝ๐ค๐ง๐ฃ ๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐๐ง. ๐คฏ #MUFC https://t.co/C4iVZUyidc
However, Varane's stint with Manchester United has been underwhelming so far. The club sit seventh in the Premier League table and have been bland in defense.
Let's take a look at five players Manchester United could have signed instead of Raphael Varane.
#5. Merih Demiral - Juventus
Merih Demiral is one of the most underrated defenders in world football.
Originally a Juventus player, Demiral currently plays for Atalanta on loan in Serie A. Demiral has made several appearances for both clubs and has looked in great shape every time.
@SerieA @juventusfc
A glimpse of Merih Demiral's talent against Leverkusen ๐
๐๐น๐น ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฒ๐ ...
#UCL twitter.com/Merihdemiral/sโฆ https://t.co/xNM0cT4GhC
The Turkish international is extremely physical and adept at marking opponents. His 6'4 frame enables him to excel in the air as well. Demiral also reads the game brilliantly from his position in defense.
If this was onside...
Sensational Merih Demiral tackle!โซ๏ธ If this was onside...
๐ต Sensational Merih Demiral tackle!
@Merihdemiral | @Atalanta_BC | #UCL https://t.co/hgRQMwWspL
Demiral was previously linked with Manchester United, but went on to join Atalanta on loan. He has been quite impressive and can certainly expect a lot of offers in the coming windows.
#4. Jules Kounde - Sevilla
Jules Kounde is one of the hottest properties in Europe right now.
The defender plays for Sevilla in La Liga and has slowly established himself as one of the most promising defenders in world football. Primarily a centre-back, Kounde is also capable of playing as a right-back.
JULES KOUNDE BY HIMSELF ๐คฏ๐ฅ https://t.co/4cS367hmuN
Since signing for Sevilla in 2019, Kounde has gone on to become one of the club's most important players. His presence offers a calming effect on the Sevilla backline, with Kounde showing maturity beyond his years.
Jules Koundรฉ just proved he's one of the best young defenders you'll find.
You saw that box-to-box centre-back style for his goal.
#SquawkaScout
https://t.co/IYuAgOUf1o
Kounde has been on the watchlist of several clubs, most notably Real Madrid and Chelsea. Still only 23, Kounde displays incredible potential and looks set to pursue the next phase of his career this summer. He would have been a great addition to the Manchester United squad.