"His legs are looking sluggish and he can’t keep fit" - Paul Scholes suggests Manchester United star's best days are behind him
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes recently expressed his concern over Raphael Varane, fearing the Frenchman may be finished at the highest level.
Varane joined the Red Devils from Real Madrid as one of the best centre-backs in the world for a transfer fee of £35 million. He was expected to transform United's defense and be a reliable option at the back.
Unfortunately, the 30-year-old has struggled with his fitness, missing 38 games over the past two seasons due to a series of injuries (via Transfermarkt). Moreover, Varane has been in questionable form this season, with Manchester United conceding 18 goals from their opening 10 games.
Varane struggled to make an impact defensively during Manchester United's 3-2 loss against Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League on October 3. He was at fault for Galatasaray's equalizer, when he drifted out of position, allowing Kerem Akturkoglu to score.
He was also too slow in closing Mauro Icardi down as the latter sealed the win for Galatasaray. Scholes said to TNT Sports (via METRO):
"I worry about Varane a bit, he has been one of the very best defenders around, in that same ilk at Real Madrid. I just think his legs are looking sluggish, he can’t keep fit and I worry about him."
He added:
"Really disappointed. I actually don’t think they played that badly. All the talk before the game was that they couldn’t really score goals and there was a a lack of goals in the team."
"It is almost as if we disregarded the defensive side of the game and the defensive side of the team it wasn’t good enough they were wide open at times."
Varane has made 70 appearances across all competitions for the Red Devils to date, winning the Carabao Cup.
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag retains backing of hierarchy amid poor form: Reports
According to The Guardian, Erik ten Hag's position as Manchester United's head coach isn't in imminent danger despite the club's poor run of form.
Manchester United have lost six of their 10 games so far this season, including a 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford at the hands of Galatasaray in the Champions League. They are now 10th in the Premier League standings with just nine points from seven games. Moreover, they are at the bottom of Group A in the UCL with zero points from two games.
Ten Hag has had to deal with injuries to key personnel but pressure is starting to build by fans after Manchester United's underwhelming displays to date. Despite this, the Dutch tactician is still being viewed as the right man to take the club forward.
He won the Carabao Cup and reached the FA Cup final last season in his first year in charge. He also boasts a win percentage of 62.5%, having won 45 of his 72 games in charge.