A Manchester United source has reportedly been describing Raphael Varane as being left stunned by Erik ten Hag’s decision to leave him out of his starting XI in recent times.
The Frenchman has fallen out of favour at Man Utd this season, with sources telling the Sun that this came as a big shock to the player, who was thought to be a key part of Ten Hag’s plans.
The report suggests Varane will now seek a transfer away in the coming months, though it may wait until the summer, rather than coming this January.
Some United fans will undoubtedly be concerned by this development, as the former Real Madrid man hasn’t really put a foot wrong since joining the club, and surely still has something to offer to the team.
Varane will likely have a number of suitors if he does decide to move on, so it will be interesting to see how MUFC handle this and if his situation can change at all in the months ahead.
For now, however, the anonymous sources quoted by the Sun don’t paint a very happy picture at all.
“The events of the past few weeks have left Raphael and his advisers stunned to say the least,” the source said.
“Nobody saw this coming at the start of the season. It was made clear he was a key part of the team and would be a vital player for the club and the manager moving forward.
“Now he’s the fourth choice centre back and he faces looking for a new club in the summer and a new challenge.”
Fabrizio Romano has previously played down the drama surrounding this story, telling CaughtOffside that this was just a tactical decision from Ten Hag.