Raphaël Varane

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Pexbo said:
Did you happen to see his El Classico performance a couple of years ago? He's had numerous games where he's not performed so well which is to be expected at his age but that performance against Barcelona was as good a performance I have seen from anyone. He was supreme defensively and was equally a threat in attack at corners. He was what, 19? 20? At the time.

He's as sure a bet for being a world class defender in the future as you're ever going to get.
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Yup. I assume you are referring to the Copa Del Ray games in 12/13. Never have I seen a defender do so well single-handedly against Messi. Normally it takes several defenders to stop Messi but in those games (mostly in the first leg at the Bernabeu) he was isolated one on one vs Messi several times and he dealt with it better than I have seen any defender I have seen in such circumstances. His pace and tackling was excellent in that game.
 
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He came off the bench in Real's match last night at the dying moments. Hes easily better than all of our CBs and hes only 21. Not sure if he actually wants to leave Madrid but surely he cant be happy about not starting?
 
Skywarden said:
Interview in French for those interested. Admits we were in talks with him but ultimately Zidane convinced him to join Real.

http://www.tf1.fr/telefoot/news-foo...ce-je-veux-marquer-ma-generation-8532905.html
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They snatched him out of our hands at the last minute. Mourinho admitted his pleasure at doing so. They weren't even in for him as long as we were. Varane now says he didn't sign for us because we signed Phil Jones and he wasn't certain he'd get game time. Thats BS.
 
Loublaze said:
They snatched him out of our hands at the last minute. Mourinho admitted his pleasure at doing so. They weren't even in for him as long as we were. Varane now says he didn't sign for us because we signed Phil Jones and he wasn't certain he'd get game time. Thats BS.
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Why is that BS? We already had a lot of CB options and Jones was another young CB added, of course Varane may have seen this as a threat.
 
Trizy said:
Why is that BS? We already had a lot of CB options and Jones was another young CB added, of course Varane may have seen this as a threat.
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Because like Pogba at every interview they change their story, at first he said that it was because Zidane personally called while he was perparing his exams and promised to take care of him at Madrid.

The Jones story came later, he made a choice influenced by his idol and the right choice probably, there is no need to try to rationalize it.
 
JPRouve said:
Because like Pogba at every interview they change their story, at first he said that it was because Zidane personally called while he was perparing his exams and promised to take care of him at Madrid.

The Jones story came later, he made a choice influenced by his idol and the right choice probably, there is no need to try to rationalize it.
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I don't see why he would lie though, maybe there were more factors maybe less. Either way he's player regular football for Madrid and has won everything in Spainish football already at the age of 21.
 
Trizy said:
Why is that BS? We already had a lot of CB options and Jones was another young CB added, of course Varane may have seen this as a threat.
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Come on man, seriously? Real joined the race for his signature and they convinced him to sign. Its as simple as that. We can't compete with them for signings. Period
 
Mourinho and Chelsea have a longstanding habit of nicking other teams' transfer targets simply because they don't want others to get them, not even out of necessity.

Willian, Salah, Zouma, van Ginkel and de Bruyne are recent examples that come to mind. Even when Mourinho signed Ivanovic and Courtois they had no intention of playing them as they already had top class players in that position; they just turned out to be useful a few seasons later.
 
Trizy said:
I don't see why he would lie though, maybe there were more factors maybe less. Either way he's player regular football for Madrid and has won everything in Spainish football already at the age of 21.
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I don't know why they slightly change the stories everytime but he did the same with his contract, with his frustration of not being played enough.
It's probably a PR war between his agent and Real Madrid.
 
Trizy said:
I don't see why he would lie though, maybe there were more factors maybe less. Either way he's player regular football for Madrid and has won everything in Spainish football already at the age of 21.
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Players lie all the time. Both Falcao and Di Maria lied about wanting the Manchester move. United were their second choices, or the only other team that offered to pay their wage demands. We all know Real and PSG were the clubs they were both set on signing for. Di Maria has come clean about that at least.
 
Irrational. said:
Mourinho and Chelsea have a longstanding habit of nicking other teams' transfer targets simply because they don't want others to get them, not even out of necessity.

Willian, Salah, Zouma, van Ginkel and de Bruyne are recent examples that come to mind. Even when Mourinho signed Ivanovic and Courtois they had no intention of playing them as they already had top class players in that position; they just turned out to be useful a few seasons later.
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Yes, the man prides himself in this. Lets not forget players like Shawn Wright Phillips and Obi Mikel as well. He even admitted that Varane had one foot in Manchester when Real signed him. It sickens me but that's competition, that's life.
 
We would have not been able to give him much time anyway. People complain about how much times Smalling was played at RB and how much Jones played at RB and in midfield but, that was the only way the could get consistent time on the pitch. The same would have probably happened to him if he came here.
 
Loublaze said:
Players lie all the time. Both Falcao and Di Maria lied about wanting the Manchester move. United were their second choices, or the only other team that offered to pay their wage demands. We all know Real and PSG were the clubs they were both set on signing for. Di Maria has come clean about that at least.
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How do you know this ?? If you think players lie all the time, then how do you know what is true and what is false ?? I haven't seen anything about that.
 
Ace of Spades said:
How do you know this ?? If you think players lie all the time, then how do you know what is true and what is false ?? I haven't seen anything about that.
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They say things for public relations. This is well known. Real were in for Falcao and PSG were in for Di Maria. Real pulled out at the last minute apparently because he was too expensive. Have you forgot his '#HalaMadrid Dream come true' tweet that he deleted soon after? Guillem Balague (Spanish Sky sports La Liga correspondent) said Falcao and his agent spent most of the summer trying to engineer a move to Real. Di Maria himself admitted that only FFP stopped him moving to PSG. "PSG, I think they had a money problem and they couldn't buy players," the Argentine said in an interview with Telefoot. "This is the main reason I didn't go there. Playing in the French league would please a lot of players.

"Now I'm in the English league. But you never know, there is a lot of movement in football. You can never predict where you're going to play."
 
Irrational. said:
Mourinho and Chelsea have a longstanding habit of nicking other teams' transfer targets simply because they don't want others to get them, not even out of necessity.

Willian, Salah, Zouma, van Ginkel and de Bruyne are recent examples that come to mind. Even when Mourinho signed Ivanovic and Courtois they had no intention of playing them as they already had top class players in that position; they just turned out to be useful a few seasons later.
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Some very pointless signings there... Especially Salah. Is he ever going to get game-time at Chelsea?
 
Linked with a £19m move to us which seems unlikely given that he only signed a new contract recently.
 
JON.B said:
Linked with a £19m move to us which seems unlikely given that he only signed a new contract recently.
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Very unlikely and not only because he's age and potential but Madrid know we've money and are desperate, look at the Di Maria deal for example.
 
He would be absolutely ideal. The fact we were in for him a few years ago could help sway his decision. Players like feeling wanted.
 
He's going to be world class, Madrid would be crazy to give him away (not that that's stopped them before), especially for £19m.
 
I would happily put £19m on him not moving for £19m.
 
Players don't leave Madrid unless Madrid don't want them any more, and there's no chance of Madrid wanting to let him go any time soon.
 
Silly season is back among us.
 
I worry all these links with Madrid players is hinting at the Idea Madrid want something or should I say someone from us

Big Dave :nervous:
 
I like how jurnous think that player like Varane is worth around 19 million pounds while the likes of Barkley would cost us around 50 milion pounds.
 
Last week we were supposed to be signing Bale and Miranda according to the Express

This week we're supposed to be signing Pogba and Varane according to the Express

It's The Express FFS
 
Ringo 07 said:
Last week we were supposed to be signing Bale and Miranda according to the Express

This week we're supposed to be signing Pogba and Varane according to the Express

It's The Express FFS
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No it's Marca that are linking us with Varane.
 
Marca is often pretty reliable IMHO, but I doubt that we can lure Varane away from Real and definately not for 19m, 39m would be more likely.

Anyway I am a big fan of Varane and would prefer him over Hummels, even though I understand that LvG sees Hummels as an ideal creative CB who can carry the ball forward and pick out a pass in a 3-5-2 system. But Hummels in a 3-5-2 requires a lot of pace from the other two CBs, which Jones and Smalling might have actually.
 
Cathy Ferguson said:
Marca is often pretty reliable IMHO, but I doubt that we can lure Varane away from Real and definately not for 19m, 39m would be more likely.

Anyway I am a big fan of Varane and would prefer him over Hummels, even though I understand that LvG sees Hummels as an ideal creative CB who can carry the ball forward and pick out a pass in a 3-5-2 system. But Hummels in a 3-5-2 requires a lot of pace from the other two CBs, which Jones and Smalling might have actually.
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Not a slight on you Cathy, but why does everyone insist or think that LvG's favored formation is a 3-5-2 when, for all intents and purposes, he's favored formation is a 4-3-3, followed by 4-4-2?

Is it because of the strikers we have, who LvG somehow wants to accommodate all 3 in the starting lineup? I thought were only playing a 3-5-2 because all our fullbacks were injured? But regardless, in either formation, we need CB's who are better at bringing the ball out of defense. Varane and Hummels are both better at it then our current lot. I'm just hoping Lvg isn't basing his purchase on a 3-5-2 formation.
 
Ish84045 said:
Not a slight on you Cathy, but why does everyone insist or think that LvG's favored formation is a 3-5-2 when, for all intents and purposes, he's favored formation is a 4-3-3, followed by 4-4-2?

Is it because of the strikers we have, who LvG somehow wants to accommodate all 3 in the starting lineup? I thought were only playing a 3-5-2 because all our fullbacks were injured? But regardless, in either formation, we need CB's who are better at bringing the ball out of defense. Varane and Hummels are both better at it then our current lot. I'm just hoping Lvg isn't basing his purchase on a 3-5-2 formation.
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I was just making some assumptions but I don't think that LvG has decided to play 3-5-2 at United for the forseeable future. I think he prefers 3-5-2 at the moment for a number of reasons but that might change after this season when he knows the squad inside out and can plan for next season accordingly.

I am a big fan of both Varane and Hummels, both must be considered world class and an upgrade to what we have on our books at the moment. They should complement each other nicely and might work in a 4-3-3 set up since I think that Hummels must be complemented with someone who has brutal pace. But Hummels is hardly a mercenary and Varane is also a very difficult signing to make.
 
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