Signed over the summer to strengthen a rather weak defence, Raphaël Varane has already shown he can help Manchester United, but is currently injured.
Hurting himself on international duty with France, the centre-back is out for the foreseeable future, and will likely miss a handful of games before returning straight into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s starting XI.
However, when it comes to his performances for his country, there are some who feel it might be time to move on from the player, who has been a mainstay under Didier Deschamps for a number of years.
Olivier Rouyer, speaking to L’Equipe TV, is one of those, as he commented on how the player has performed over the past two years.
He said, relayed by Top Mercato: “I’m extremely disappointed by Varane’s performances, whether it be with Real Madrid or the France national team. I’m not saying that he no longer has the level. You can say that Ramos brought a lot to Varane. If he’s where he is, it’s thanks to Ramos. I’m criticising him for not strengthening that axis, not helping Kimpembe grow or the young Koundé who’s coming.
“I’ve been an admirer of Varane, but I find that he’s not been at that level for the past two seasons. I think it’s time to pass the baton. You have to hope that Kimpembe can go up a level, that he’ll return to the top with PSG when he’s sorted his problems out. That can maybe help Koundé, Lucas Hernandez and why not Upamecano and Zouma to confirm themselves. Things need to change at one point eventually”.
Considering this is a recent outing by the pundit, you have to think he is also talking about the Varane at Manchester United, who has only featured seven times so far for his new club.
Adapting to a new league takes time, and the 28-year-old will be given the opportunities to grow with the club, and perhaps eventually prove Rouyer wrong, as he continues his quest to 100 caps, having already earned 83 over the past eight years.
