Raphael Varane linked with shock move away from Man United

Varane has fallen out of favour this season

Raphael Varane is the latest high-profile name to be linked with a move away from Manchester United in January. The Frenchman has fallen out of favour under Erik ten Hag in recent weeks, losing his place to Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire. Signed from Real Madrid in 2021, the Frenchman was expected to play a key role in United’s quest to reach the top of English football again and formed a decent partnership with Lisandro Martinez last season, only to lose his place in the side despite denying claims that there had been a fallout between himself and Ten Hag. Having lost his place in the starting XI, Varane has been linked with a move away, with Sky Sports Germany reporting that Bayern Munich are prepared to make a move to bring the World Cup winner to the Allianz Arena. Bayern could sign the defender for a cut-price as well, with the reported fee in the region of £17-20m.

One stumbling block however could prove to be the wages. Earlier this month, Ten Hag denied that him and Varane had fallen out after selecting him from the start in just one of United’s last eight games. “It is about tactical reasons why I chose these partnerships. I think Harry and Jonny did well,” the Dutchman claimed. “What I said last year, Harry didn’t play a lot, so I was very happy with Rapha’s performances. I have always been happy with his performance. “But in this moment, Harry is playing very well and there is internal competition.”