Raphaël Varane appears set to leave Manchester United, but Carlo Ancelotti appeared to rule out a January return to Madrid for the Whites legend.
Manchester United declined the option to extend the Frenchman’s contract, which only has six months left to run. The move led to speculation over the possibility of a January transfer. There has been much media talk about a return to the club where he won five Champions Leagues, as Real Madrid are in the midst of a defensive injury crisis.
Varane, a huge salary
Carlo Ancelotti’s recent comments suggest the rumors are unfounded. He told reporters: “We are missing important players, but we have two other players we believe in, Nacho and Rüdiger, and two others who can play in this position, Aurélien Tchouameni and Dani Carvajal. For the moment, we are therefore not considering recruiting.”
Despite Ancelotti’s statement, Madrid remains one of the bookmakers’ favorites to sign the Frenchman in the event of his departure. Long-term injuries to Eder Militao and David Alaba have left Real lacking depth at the heart of defense, and many fans have suggested the Los Blancos legend would be the perfect signing to provide short-term cover .
Spanish media have suggested that the France international, a World Cup winner in 2018, would consider a return to the Spanish capital if the opportunity arose. The defender would no doubt be capable of mentoring the younger members of the Madrid squad in their quest for the La Liga title.
Ancelotti’s comments could be aimed at driving down the price of any target if the club plans to sign a centre-back. The likelihood of a transfer is all the greater as Manchester United are willing to accept a reasonable price due to their desire to offload Varane’s huge £340,000-a-week salary.
