Anshuman Joshi
Manchester United duo Casemiro and Raphaël Varane are likely to attract Saudi interest this summer
According to talkSPORT, Manchester United duo Casemiro and Raphaël Varane are likely to be subject to interest from the Saudi Pro League this coming summer.
The Man United duo are part of the next group of marquee signings the Public Investment Fund–boosted project is looking to rope in to further raise its profile ahead of next season.
Liverpool’s Mo Salah and Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne are also subject to the Saudi interest.
Should an offer arrive at Old Trafford for Casemiro and Varane, it would be prudent of United to agree a fee and let them go.
An offer they can’t refuse
Varane arrived at United in the summer of 2021 for £42 million to partner Harry Maguire at the back. The idea at the time was that he would part of the final jigsaw pieces and help Ole Gunnar Solskjær take that final leap and compete at the very top. As we know now, that’s not how things turned out.
Casemiro, on the other hand, was a desperate acquisition United went above the market value for by splashing £70 million on him in order to reinforce a position they had neglected for years.
That United spent well north of £100 million for the ex-Real Madrid duo is a good example of the profligate spending practices they have indulged in over the past decade despite failing to compete at the top.
It’s not just player acquisitions United have shown little aptitude in; timely player departures if only to cut their losses is also something the Old Trafford hierarchy has struggled to execute, instead choosing to renew the periphery players’ contracts in hopes of retaining their market value only to ultimately lose them for free.
United’s footballing operations have been spectacularly bad with only rare, fleeting instances of brilliance. This cannot continue. The new sporting ownership led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe is keen to make sure that’s the case, and in the Saudi Pro League, the Red Devils have a prospect which, if offered, should not be ignored.
Ever since receiving a new financial and operational directive from the PIF last year, the Saudi Pro League has been trying to disrupt the established footballing order, even challenging the Premier League in terms of transfer fees and player wages, which has seen the likes of Aleksandar Mitrović and Rúben Neves—players in their prime who could easily have earned big-money moves in Europe—among many others move to the Middle East. They have also, however, served as an outlet for the likes of Chelsea and Man City to send their deadwood players to and receive hefty sums in return.
Conclusion
This is where United need to be open-eyed. The market value of Varane and Casemiro is not going to be appreciated, and it is arguable that they are past their prime years as well, even if they have enough quality to offer still. Should an offer arrive from Saudi Arabia for either of their signatures, if not both, United should consider it and reach an agreement.
Additionally, apart from needing to become more football-wise in the transfer market, United also have exciting young prospects in Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho, and Willy Kambwala—academy graduates who have shone this season and proved they are willing to take the next step.
More Manchester United News-
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- “I got ahead of myself”- Manchester United hero Kobbie Mainoo apologises for what he did vs Liverpool
It’s high time they learn from their past mistakes. Man United have work to do this summer, of that there is little doubt.
