Manchester United may sell Raphael Varane after the centre-back was described as another of Erik ten Hag’s ‘scapegoats’ by former striker Louis Saha. Varane has been linked with a £17million transfer to Bayern Munich ahead of the January transfer window.
The experienced French star has not started in the Premier League since a 1-0 defeat by Crystal Palace on September 30. Ten Hag admitted that Harry Maguire’s form was keeping Varane out of the starting 11.
However, Varane’s issues at United appear to go deeper than simply being out of favour. Former Red Devils forward Saha believes Varane has become a scapegoat at Old Trafford, possibly following in the footsteps of Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo who were cast to one side after falling out with the Dutchman.
“It could be a breakdown in the relationship between player and manager. I know he’s been injured often, but he needs to be given the chance to get back to his best after a spell out,” Saha told Betfred.
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“It’s true that everybody needs competition but you can’t fiddle with the defence too much because that department provides you with a solid foundation. I don’t understand why Raphael’s been dropped, so maybe something’s been said behind closed doors. It’s as if he’s being scapegoated in some way and I don’t like it.
“I would understand the decision to drop him if there was another defender playing outstandingly well, but that’s not the case. Nobody’s really stood out. I respect the decision of the manager because you need to make changes when your team isn’t playing well.
“However, the defence is one area that you don’t mess with because it can put stress on the goalkeeper, especially Andre Onana who’s new to the Premier League. I don’t understand what’s happened with Raphael in the last couple of weeks to justify the reasoning for him being dropped.”
Sancho, whose continued refusal to apologise to Ten Hag over a scathing public statement, has been linked with an exit in January. Ronaldo had his contract terminated after he conducted a fiery interview with Piers Morgan a year ago.
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Varane could now follow in the footsteps of the pair, although any falling out with Ten Hag is unclear at this stage. According to Sky Germany, German champions Bayern are hoping to conclude a £17m deal for the former Real Madrid ace in January.
Varane was signed in the summer of 2021 and was initially an important player during his first two campaigns, despite a couple of injuries hampering his consistency. He formed an excellent relationship with Lisandro Martinez under Ten Hag last season, with the pairing helping United win the Carabao Cup and qualify for the Champions League.
But he has made just eight Premier League appearances this term and appears to be heading towards the Old Trafford exit in January. A switch to Bayern could prove to be a necessary change of scenery.
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