Raphael Varane has named the two sides that he would consider leaving Manchester United for, as he looks ahead to the twilight of his footballing career.
Varane joined Manchester United in the summer of 2021 - ending a 10-year, trophy-laden stint with Real Madrid in the process - and has quickly established himself as a fan favourite with the Old Trafford faithful.
At just 29 years of age, the five-time Champions League winner still has plenty of football left in the tank, but has revealed that there are two clubs that would make him consider leaving the Premier League side.
In an interview with GC Magazine, Varane stated that other than Manchester United, there are only two clubs where he would wish to retire:
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"I will finish my career either in Madrid, or in Manchester, or in Lens. I will not move to another club [other than those].
But Madrid seems complicated to me. Players don't usually go back there. The most likely outcome today is that I will finish [my club career] in either Manchester or Lens."
The French defender came through the youth setup with Ligue 1 side Lens, but spent just a single season in the French top flight before joining Real Madrid on an initial six-year contract.
Varane has struggled with injury and fitness issues throughout his career, culminating in international retirement following France's World Cup final defeat to Argentina in December and admitted that he had struggled with the vast amount of fixtures he has been involved in during recent seasons:
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"Recent seasons have always finished later and started earlier. We didn't have time to work physically and when we weren't playing we only had time for recovery.
"You can do this for a few seasons but after a while you either crash, or you are unrecognisable [from the player you were] for six months or a year in the field, or you get injured. That's what happens to all great players and that's what I want to avoid."
Varane signed a four-year deal with Manchester United in 2021, with his current contract set to expire in June 2025.
Featured Image Credit: AlarmyTopics: Manchester United, Raphael Varane, Football