A Manchester United insider has reportedly revealed Raphael Varane’s reaction to being dropped by Erik ten Hag.
Back in 2021, Frenchman Varane left Real Madrid for United in a deal worth a reported £41 million.
Since then, he has often been one of the first names on the team sheet when fully fit.
However, United boss Ten Hag has opted to play the likes of Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans in recent matches.
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Maguire was close to an exit during the summer transfer window after being stripped of the captaincy whilst Evans was signed as a free transfer.
Now, Varane’s apparent reaction to Ten Hag’s decision to play the likes of Maguire and Evans over him has been revealed.
According to The Athletic, people close to Varane stated that the defender accepted the manager’s decision as a tactical one.
The report added that the source pointed out there is always a way back for a player under Ten Hag, as Maguire proved.
Former United midfielder Paul Scholes said after the Red Devils’ 4-3 defeat by FC Copenhagen that Ten Hag can’t rely on Varane.
He said on TNT Sports: “I actually think he’s playing Maguire and Evans at centre-half because he thinks they’re the two best ball-playing centre-halves. Which in itself is a bit of a worry.
“How can he [ten Hag] pick a settled back four? We saw Varane play against Galatasaray and he was all over the place.”
Scholes continued: “I think whichever centre-back he plays, I think they have to play counter-attacking football because none of them are that quick.
“Varane was quick and now, is he losing his legs a little bit? They have to rely on that pace a little bit.”
Despite the issues, United are actually the Premier League’s most in-form side after picking up four wins in the last five matches.
Ten Hag men are currently in sixth place in the league table, five points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
Topics: Raphael Varane, Manchester United, Erik Ten Hag, Harry Maguire, Football
Marcus Chan