This crazy rumor had blown up the start of the summer transfer window and the outcome is now well known: the legendary French defender, Raphaël Varane (31 years old), has finally found a club. It was one of the good deals of this transfer window and after three seasons spent with Manchester United, Raphaël Varane left Old Trafford at the end of his contract. He was therefore looking for a new one, while the possibility of a return to RC Lens, his training club, had been on the table for a while. But the 31-year-old player has officially flown to lands still unknown to him, to Como in Italy.
“Como 1907 is pleased to announce the signing of French defender Raphael Varane, who played for Manchester United last season, on a two-year contract with an option to extend. Considered one of the best defenders of his generation, Varane won three La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues during his time at Real Madrid.“, is written in the official press release published on the website of the Lombard club. The former international of the Blues (93 selections) has initialed a contract of XXXX seasons with the Lombard club. After the Ligue 1 with RC Lens, the Liga with Real Madrid and the Premier League with Manchester United, the native of Lille will discover a fourth major championship, that of Serie A under the colors of the promoted Como. And the crazy project of the Lombard club begins to take shape.
Como’s crazy project!
The main attraction is the presence on the bench of Cesc Fabregas, supported last season by the Welshman Osian Roberts and now on the verge of officially obtaining his final diploma. The Spaniard, who shone with FC Barcelona and Arsenal as a player, acts as a real magnet for many experienced players who see Como as the ideal setting for a final dance at the top level in the best European leagues. Indeed, after Andrea Belotti whose signing was completed in June, Alberto Moreno and Pepe Reina have for example followed suit, while other players such as Joaquin Correa and Anthony Martial have been linked to the club. Clearly unusual recruits for a club that has just been promoted to the first division. Raphaël Varane thus brings all his experience to this oh-so-ambitious project. In 2019, just two years after its demotion to Serie D due to bankruptcy, the newly refounded Como club was bought by the Indonesian company Djarum Group run by brothers Michael Hartono and Robert Budi Hartono.
According to the latest Forbes ranking, Como is officially – and by far – the Italian club with the richest owners thanks to Robert Budi Hartono (83 years old) whose personal wealth stands at 24.5 billion euros and Michael Bambang Hartono (84 years old), with a net worth of 23.4 billion euros. With an estimated value of 47.9 billion euros, Como can dream very big for the coming years, especially since the Hartono brothers are not skimping on investments and intend to continue the development of the team based in Lombardy. Clear-sighted investors of the Central Asia Bank, still among the largest Indonesian producers of clove-flavored cigarettes, the Hartono brothers are also the main shareholders of Global Digital Niaga, owner of the e-commerce giant Bligli. In any case, Fàbregas’ ship seems to be in good hands and continues its adventure on the Lombard lakes.
