“He’s still a bloody good player” - Glen Johnson urges Chelsea to sign Manchester United defender
Ex-Chelsea defender Glen Johnson has urged the Blues to sign Manchester United star Raphael Varane in the summer transfer window.
Although many would claim that the Frenchman is not the same player he was at Real Madrid, his experience is invaluable. With his contract expiring in the summer, the centre-back is expected to be available on a free in a couple of months' time.
Despite Varane's struggles with injuries of late, Johnson believes that the ex-Real Madrid man would be able to help Chelsea's progression. He told Betfred (via Caught Off Side):
"Good players like that don't come around often, and they certainly come around less often on a free transfer. I know he's not the Varane he was three or four years ago, but he's still a bloody good player."
"Yes, he's had his injury problems but that's what outweighs the transfer fee- if you're buying him on a free and he's only playing 40% of the games, then that's still a good deal to do."
He added:
"As we saw with Thiago Silva, those sort of players who have done everything, played for top teams and clubs, they get the attention of the dressing room and they're big names that younger players want to look up to and obviously they're great to have around."
This season, Varane has missed five matches across competitions due to fitness issues while being absent for 15 last campaign. Overall, he's played 93 matches for Manchester United, bagging two goals and an assist.
Manchester United join race to sign Arsenal and Chelsea target in the summer - Reports
Manchester United have reportedly joined Arsenal and Chelsea in the race to sign Sporting Lisbon's Viktor Gyokeres this summer. According to HITC, the Red Devils have been impressed by the Sweden international's recent performances and will provide competition for their Premier League rivals.
This season, the forward has scored 22 goals in 28 Liga Portugal appearances while bagging an additional five in nine Europa League matches. He's also got a total of 16 assists across competitions, making his numbers more impressive.
According to this report, the Red Devils wish to add support for Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund rather than replacing either of the two. However, it is still believed that Italian giants AC Milan lead the race for the striker's signature over the aforementioned English clubs.