Football players wanting to play every match for their clubs isn’t new, and one can understand Raphael Varane’s current frustration at Man United.
The Frenchman is a World Cup and Champions League winner, and yet Erik ten Hag has reduced him to a role on the subs bench of late.
Whilst it’s true he’s getting no younger, Varane is only 30 years of age and there’s still plenty of years left in the tank yet.
Various media outlets have reported on rumours that the player might well consider a move to the Saudi Pro League as a result, including this one from Football Transfers, and CaughtOffside columnist, Fabrizio Romano, writing in his exclusive Daily Briefing, looked into the truth of whether this giant of the game was indeed getting ready to leave the Premier League.
‘I’m not aware of Varane wanting to move to Saudi at this stage,’ he wrote.
‘He always wants to play, that’s normal for a top player like him, and at the moment there’s nothing advanced with any other club.’
What’s odd is that such rumours have even made it into the public domain, and that hints at leaks behind the scenes, perhaps to destabilise the club further.
From the player’s point of view, whether or not he remains happy with his lot, he is still a professional and has to ensure the highest levels of performance whilst wearing the shirt.
‘Ten Hag mentioned that Varane is also ready to play this weekend so let’s see what happens later this year,’ Romano added.
As long as Varane remains in-situ, getting him the right defensive partner in 2024 could well be the key for United overcoming their central defensive issues.