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Manchester United’s unbeaten start to 2024 ended against Fulham with Marco Silva’s men picking up a deserved 2-1 win on Saturday.
The Red Devils entered the game on the back of a four-match winning streak in the Premier League but the displays were far from convincing.
It always seemed like the team was barely scraping past opposition and the reversal arrived against the Cottagers who completely dominated in front of a packed Old Trafford.
With both Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw sidelined, the defence once again looked vulnerable and Erik ten Hag will be disappointed with how Raphael Varane has failed to step up in recent weeks.
Defensive woes
A four-time Champions League winner, the centre-back struggled against the London side with former Arsenal man Ian Wright claiming Fulham targeted the World Cup winner.
The 30-year-old’s contract ends in June and so far, United have decided against triggering the one-year extension option.
INEOS have plans to trim the bloated wage bill and the former Real Madrid star is one of the highest earners at the club.
He is quite injury-prone and has only impressed in patches since his arrival in England and a case can be made for moving on the former France international and starting afresh by bringing in a younger partner for the Argentine.
Varane has been linked with a move to Saudi while surprisingly, even former club Real Madrid are said to be monitoring proceedings.
Recently, The Peoples Person relayed reports which stated that the soon-to-be free agent could also be targeted by Inter Milan and several other sides back home in France.
As per El Nacional, Paris Saint-Germain have now joined the race following Milan Skriniar’s long-term injury during Wednesday’s Champions Trophy win over Toulouse.
Varane’s future
“Given the situation, some clubs have been interested in the future of the 30-year-old centre-back. Although his performance have not been the best during his time at United, some sporting directors still trust in the Frenchman’s improvement.
“The main interested party in Europe is, precisely, a club from his homeland. This is Paris Saint-Germain, which is looking for a central defender for next season after Milan Skriniar’s long-term injury.”
The signing, if it pans out, will reportedly incense Florentino Pérez, whose disdain for Nasser Al-Khelaïfi is well known.
It must also be remembered that the Red Devils are open to a contract extension but on reduced terms. It will be interesting to see what option Varane ends up choosing.
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