Everything about Raphael Varane tells me he’s a Manchester United player, asserts Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is Manchester United's manager
|Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has praised Raphael Varane as he believes that the defender was made for Manchester United with the club chasing after the Frenchman for years. The French international arrived this summer at Old Trafford for a £41 million fee after spending a decade with Real Madrid.
Ten years ago, Manchester United had reportedly scouted the Lens youngster ahead of completing a potential deal but no deal ever materialized for Raphael Varane. Instead, the Frenchman moved to Real Madrid and spent just over a decade with the club, winning countless accolades and trophies in the process. Not only that the Frenchman blossomed into a World Cup-winning centre-back with him also a key part of France’s 2018 World Cup winning team.
However, after years of rumours and potential moves, Varane finally made the move to Manchester United, signing on a four-year deal from Real Madrid which was confirmed ahead of United's 5-1 victory over Leeds in the opening weekend. In light of that, it has seen Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claim that Varane’s conduct on and off the field has marked him out as a United player long before his arrival.
"It’s no secret that we were close - or we were in there - when he left to Real Madrid 10 years ago, Sir Alex was in there speaking to them and we were close. Ever since his performances on the pitch, his demeanour and behaviour off the pitch, it tells me that that’s a Man United player. And we managed to convince him to have the feeling of Man United,” Solskjaer told the club’s official website.
“I think that’s been in his heart ever since he went to Real Madrid as well. I think he had a little bit of a feeling for Man United. We definitely have had feelings for him for many, many years. The Champions League wins he’s had, the World Cup wins… everything about him is class, He’s a quick, strong defender, good in the air, he can play with both feet.
“The short answer is everything about him is what you want. He’s been humble, he’s been inquisitive. He asks questions. He doesn’t want to learn by a mistake in the game, he wants to learn it on the training field before he comes on the pitch. Everything about him has been impressive", he added.
