Aheed Abrar
Brazilian superstar Neymar showers praise on Manchester United and former Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane
Manchester United centre-back Raphael Varane is seen in high regard by former Barcelona superstar Neymar. The two have come up against each other on several occasions, especially when the France international played for Real Madrid.
Varane was signed by the Red Devils last summer from Los Blancos. The centre-back had a decent debut season at United. However, injuries hampered the 29-year-old’s campaign to a certain extent.
Speaking to DAZN on YouTube (h/t MEN), Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star Neymar mentions the qualities that make it hard to play against Varane. The Frenchman’s quickness and intelligence are something the Brazilian is wary of.
“I’ve played against Varane many times. He’s a very good centre-back. He’s quick and intelligent. His positioning is very good. He’s a top player. He almost never gets it wrong. That’s why he’s won so much.”
Varane came to the club in the same window United signed Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo. Fans had high expectations from the team after finishing second in the league in the 2019/20 season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Varane been impressive under Ten Hag
However, it soon turned out to be too much for the Norwegian manager to handle and the Red Devils parted ways with him. With the arrival of Raf Rangnick, the team still did not live up to expectations and we finished in sixth place.
Varane was a regular whenever he was available. However, the 29-year-old was sidelined on a few occasions throughout the 2021/22 campaign, seemingly making it hard for him to settle in.
United had a bad defensive record last season, with Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Varane playing the majority of the minutes. The Red Devils conceded 57 goals in the PL, ending the campaign with a goal difference of zero.
However, things have looked promising under Erik ten Hag. While we got off to a bad start, the French defender has formed a solid partnership with new signing Lisandro Martinez.
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Hopefully, Varane is able to stay fit and feature for the side regularly this season. His experience will be vital if the Dutchman wants to win silverware straightaway in his debut season as a manager in England.
