Al-Ittihad have received a major transfer blow in their pursuit of Manchester United defender Raphael Varane as the Frenchman’s stance on the move to the Middle East has been revealed.
According to Julien Laurens, who is a very reliable French journalist, Varane is very happy at United and isn’t keen on moving away from the club to Al-Ittihad or any Saudi side for that matter.
The French defender has had a good start to the season under Erik ten Hag, he scored the winning goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers last Monday and, despite the defeat, was also one of United’s better performers against Tottenham Hotspur despite losing the game 2-0.
The defender was linked with a move to Nuno Espirito Santo’s side this week and there were rumours of preliminary negotiations and the defender was ‘positive’ about the idea but that has been shut down by Laurens.
Varane’s stance
Laurens posted on X last night about what the French defender’s stance on the move is and it seems likely that the defender will remain in England this summer.
“I didn’t think I needed to do this but the rumours are getting too strong now,” Laurens wrote. “So, no Raphael Varane hasn’t been contacted by any Saudi Arabian club. He is very happy at United and wouldn’t want to leave even if one contacted him.”
According to a post from French outlet Sports Zone, Varane’s France international teammates Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante were trying to convince the defender about a move to the Middle Eastern side.
A signing of Varane’s stature would have been a superb one for the Pro League side as they bid to retain the league title but it seems they will have to target other defenders this summer.