Raphael Varane is free to negotiate with any club after Manchester United decided against a one-year contract extension, according to the Manchester Evening News on Monday.
Raphael Varane, 30, joined United in 2021 and has gradually emerged as their best defender. However, he fell out of favor with head coach Erik Ten Hague and found it difficult to play consistently this time around.
He has started just five games in the Premier League (PL) this season, three of which came last month as Ten Hague had to rely on the Frenchman after injuries to key players.
However, Raphael Varane now feels he is being pushed around by the club as they are not extending his contract, which expires in June 2024, by a year.
Raphael Varane is not a fan of leaving the club mid-season
Raphael Varane is not a fan of leaving the club in the middle of the season and would prefer to move to his new club during the summer as he has interest from the Saudi Pro League and other clubs.
United have shown an interest in the Frenchman and a move to the Middle East would see him reunited with former team-mate Karim Benzema, who he played with for 10 years at Madrid.
As things stand, a move to the Saudi Pro League is a big possibility for Warane, aiming for consistent first-team playing time.
It should be noted that Man United suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest in the last match of 2023, which added to the problems of the Hague.
Ten Hague has had a worse start to the season than David Moyes, one of Man United’s worst managers of the century, as the 20-time PL champions have already suffered their 14th defeat of the season with five months of club football remaining.
Man United were also eliminated from the UEFA Champions League (UCL) after finishing bottom of their group. Time is running out and Ten Hague will need to find answers before the club’s management and fans decide to go behind his back and call for the Dutchman’s sacking, as they have with their previous managers. – What happened to Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer?
Despite being one of the biggest clubs in the world, United last won the league title in 2013, the last season under the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, while their last UCL win was in 2008 when he defeated Chelsea in the final.
