Aniket Rai
Raphael Varane could take Amad Diallo’s jersey number at Manchester United
Manchester United have got their man in Raphael Varane after agreeing on a £34million deal with Real Madrid two weeks ago, but his jersey number still remains up for debate (h/t Express).
A report by Sport Witness (h/t Express) claims that the 28-year-old centre-back has already trained with the United squad despite an official announcement still pending.
His transfer to United is taking a while due to several hiccups. Firstly, visa problems delayed his flight from Madrid to Manchester. Secondly, he had to quarantine upon arrival.
And now, the report adds that the announcement is held up by Varane’s image rights. While it is not a problem that threatens the transfer from being completed, it is something that would frustrate the impatient United fans.
Will Varane wear #19?
All this time between then and now has given fans time to speculate Varane’s next jersey number. He could take Phil Jones’ No.4 kit but surprisingly, he could also claim Amad Diallo’s #19 jersey.
Let’s take a look at the situation ourselves. According to Transfermarkt, Varane has worn only two kit numbers for France – 5 and 4. For Madrid, he has worn 19, 2, and 5, while his first senior season with Lens saw him don the #14 kit.
Harry Maguire is already wearing the No.5 kit at United, while Jones has the No.4 kit. Jesse Lingard’s squad number, meanwhile, is 14, and Victor Lindelof currently dons the No.2 kit.
That leaves Amad’s squad number, 19, which could be up for Varane’s grabs. The 19-year-old arrived in January 2021 after a much-hyped transfer from Atalanta for a fee that could rise to £37million.
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But given his age and Jadon Sancho’s arrival, it is unlikely that he will be a regular starter this season. It is something that remains to be seen, however, and fans would hopefully have a better idea about Varane’s number once an official announcement is made.
