The France defender last week became Manchester United’s second high-profile signing of the summer when he joined from Real Madrid for £41 million.
Factfile
Age 28
Height 6ft 3in
Nationality French
International caps 79
Position Centre back
Honours
Club
La Liga 3
Copa del Rey 1
Supercopa de España 3
Champions League 4
Uefa Super Cup 3
Club World Cup 4
International
World Cup 1 (2018)
Clubs
Lens, France 2010-11
Real Madrid, Spain 2011-21
Manchester United, England 2021-
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Injuries
The defender demonstrated his mental resilience in coming back from several injuries at Real Madrid who he joined from Lens as 18-year-old in 2011. In May 2013, Varane ruptured his outer meniscus and had to undergo surgery just as he was enjoying a breakthrough campaign under manager José Mourinho. Then he missed both the 2016 Champions League final and France’s Euros on home soil with a thigh injury. He made up for both disappointments by winning two more Champions League trophies with Real and the World Cup in 2018. However, he missed Real Madrid’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Chelsea in May after sustaining an injury to the right adductor muscle. Real lost 2-0.
Aerial threat
Varane first announced himself as one of the world’s most exciting young defenders in his first Clásico against Barcelona. With Real losing the first leg of the 2013 Copa del Rey semi-final 1-0, Mesut Özil swung in a cross from the right-hand side and Varane drifted in unnoticed to head past Barça goalkeeper José Manuel Pinto. He repeated the trick from a corner a month later in the second leg. While Harry Maguire is likely to remain United’s chief threat from set-pieces, Varane will offer another aerial option. That should also reassure fans who are unconvinced whether the 28-year-old is up to the physical rigours of the Premier League.
Athleticism
Varane is blessed with pace and a strong physique, but it is testament to his defensive ability that these are not his defining characteristics. Unlike his former Real team-mate Sergio Ramos, the Frenchman is not the kind of defender to jump into tackles needlessly. Instead he relies on a composed positional game and an ability to drag attackers out of position. The fact that he picked up just 24 yellow cards in his 360 appearances for Real points to his excellent awareness.
Technique
As well as his array of defensive qualities, Varane is assured in possession. The 2018 World Cup winner is happy to bring the ball forwards and rarely looks flustered when passing out from the back. His passing accuracy of 88.7 per cent during his time in La Liga reflects that, and Manchester United fans can expect a rounded defender who plays on the front foot.
Leadership
Ramos’s larger-than-life presence often made Varane seem meek by comparison, but he has previously explained how he prefers to lead by example. “I’m not the kind to shout, to motivate,” he told Le Journal du Dimanche in 2015. “On the other hand, I’ve got a big brother side to me: I replace my team-mates, I talk to them when they’re not doing as well. I’ve always done it, even with more experienced players.” He could prove to be exactly what United need, given Maguire is the kind of vocal captain who would complement him so well.
