Raphael Varane has arguably been one of the best defenders in world football over the past decade or so, as he played consistently on the highest level for Real Madrid. Thus, it was a major coup for Manchester United, when they acquired the services of the French World Cup winner in the recently concluded summer transfer window.
One can safely say that Manchester United it was a great move on the part of the Red Devils. During his spell at Real Madrid, Varane won it all that there was to win.
The 28-year-old has won the Champions League on four occasions, multiple La Liga titles and was also a part of France’s World Cup winning squad of 2018.
And due to his success in the Champions League, Varane appears to have been been given the brilliant nickname ‘Champions League Varane’ by club and international teammate, Paul Pogba. As reported by Manchester Evening News, the defender admitted while speaking with BT Sport:
"“Yes, it’s true [Champions League Varane].“Sometimes some fans call me Varane Champions League, so it’s funny.”"
Varane can be very important to Manchester United’s campaign
Having won the Champions League on four occasions over the past decade, that is certainly a fitting nickname for Varane. The French defender always appears to raise his game on big European nights and will hopefully continue to do that at Manchester United
There is no doubt that Varane will add a lot of quality to Manchester United’s defence. But what he will bring to this team in terms of experience is also equally important.
Varane has won some of the biggest competitions in world football on a consistent basis for years now while competing with some of the best players in history. Hopefully, he will be able to pass on this winning mentality to the younger players at Manchester United. They will definitely need it to get past the final hurdle, with the Red Devils not having won a trophy in four seasons now.