Raphael Varane's brother has had enough of being compared to Man Utd player

Raphael Varane's half brother Jordan has strongly played down comparisons between him and the Manchester United defender, saying it's something he has "had to put up with" since being a kid.

The 22-year-old midfielder, who plays for LaLiga 2 side Sporting Gijon after coming through the Lens academy system, is keen to forge his own path in the game instead of relying on his older brother.

Of course, Raphael, 30, has achieved more than most during his trophy-laden professional career, lifting four Champions League titles and three La Liga titles at Real Madrid before securing a big-money move to Old Trafford.

But his younger sibling appears frustrated by those who make the obvious comparisons.

“I am not my brother because I am Jonathan Varane,” he told AS. “[Raphael] has had an impact on my career. When they see Jonathan Varane, they actually see Raphael. I have had to put up with it since I was little."

He added: “My name is Jonathan and I want to be myself, to distance myself from that image of my brother; I am different from him, I like to repeat that.”

The younger Varane is certainly making a name for himself at Sporting Gijon, who currently sit second in the Segunda Division.

After being promoted from their B team, he was trusted to start all of their final 10 games of last season in a deeper midfield role.

As a result of several impressive performances, La Liga side Atletico Madrid were heavily linked with a move this summer.

Spanish publication AS claimed Madrid's sporting director Andrea Berta was "looking" at Varane as a potential signing for their B team.

Benfica and Feyenoord were are also said to be interested but he remained at Gijon and has since featured plenty for Miguel Ángel Ramírez's side during the 2023/24 campaign.

Image credit: Getty

Back in July, Gijon were hoping to receive a fee of around €5 million [£4.3m] for the young midfielder, according to reports, but his price tag will have no doubt skyrocketed in recent months.

Gijon currently sit second in the LaLiga 2 table behind leaders Leganes.

Topics: Raphael Varane, Manchester United, Premier League, Manchester United Transfer News & Rumours, France, La Liga

Jack Kenmare

Senior Journalist at SPORTbible with a passion for long-form journalism. Almost 10 years’ experience across online and print.

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