Manchester United target fuels transfer speculation with message to Raphael Varane after 1-0 Wolves win
Manchester United target Benjamin Pavard further fueled transfer speculation after he sent a message to Raphael Varane after the latter scored during the 1-0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Erik ten Hag and Co. kicked off their 2023-24 Premier League campaign yesterday (August 14) against Wolves at Old Trafford. They were looking to build upon their highs of last season, facing a team that recently parted ways with Julen Lopetegui.
However, the game ended up being anything but easy for Manchester United. Wolves matched them in terms of attacking prowess and looked the better team for most of the game.
Raphael Varane secured three important points for the Red Devils in the 76th minute, heading the ball into the back of the net. Following the team's win, the Frenchman posted a celebratory post on Instagram, captioned:
"COME ONNNN !!!!!"
Benjamin Pavard was the top comment on the post, replying with two fire emojis. This comes just a day after the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner reportedly informed Bayern Munich that he wants to leave the club this summer in order to join Manchester United, as per BILD
The versatile defender can be deployed as both a center-back and right-back and is capable of playing at the highest level as demonstrated over recent years. Pavard made 43 appearances last season, helping keep 18 clean sheets, and scored seven goals.
According to Sky Germany, the 27-year-old has also agreed personal terms with the Red Devils. Manchester United are currently looking to acquire him to replace Harry Maguire who has been linked with a £30 million switch to West Ham United.
The only issue with the deal is that Bayern Munich are unwilling to let go of their star asset after their bid for Kyle Walker recently fell through.
Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes gives his verdict following 1-0 Wolves win
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes admitted that his side did not know what to expect from Wolves following their recent change of manager from Julen Lopetegui to Gary O'Neil.
The Red Devils themselves were on the back foot at home last night and struggled against a resilient Wolves side. The latter squandered multiple chances to take the lead and even hit the post on one occasion. They also had a strong penalty shout ignored by VAR towards the end of the game when Andre Onana ran into Sasa Kalajdzic.
Even though Raphael Varane's 76th-minute header won Manchester United the game, Fernandes knew their performance wasn't up-to-par. He told Sky Sports (via Manchester Evening News):
"They have quality, they have a good team. We knew what to expect from their side because they had a change of manager and could have done what they trained during pre-season, or they could have done something different that Bournemouth was doing last season."
He added:
"It was about adapting on the pitch and understanding what we had to do. The manager gave us the options on the way to press. I think on the way to press we did well, we recovered some balls. We could have been a little bit more aggressive sometimes and we could have gone into the goal in good situations. At the end of the day it is about getting the three points and we did. We scored a goal, won the game and that is the most important thing."
Manchester United next face Tottenham Hotspur away on August 19.