Real Madrid defender admits being close to Man Utd move

Oli Fisher
Raphael Varane: Linked with Man Utd again

Real Madrid star Raphael Varane has admitted that he came close to joining Manchester United last year.

Real edged out the Red Devils to Varane’s signature back in 2011 when Jose Mourinho was in the hotseat at the Bernabeu.

The Portuguese boss was keen to reunite with the 24-year-old when he became the new Manchester United boss and Saturday’s Paper Talk once again linked Varane with Old Trafford as part of the negotiations for David de Gea.

The player has since gone to become a cornerstone of Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid side and any chance of a move to Old Trafford this summer looks fanciful at best.

Speaking about his decision to stay, rather than make the switch to Old Trafford, Varane told L’Equipe: “I preferred to discuss it with the leadership, the coach, to find out if they trusted me.

“As that was the case, I got my head down.”

Earlier this year, Varane spoke about his relationship with Mourinho.

“I had a special relationship with Mourinho. With Ancelotti, I played less but he did extraordinary things at Real Madrid and that is what counts.

“I wanted to know if the club was in line with my project, that I would play. The president and the coach told me they were going in my direction. I put my head down and I worked hard during the pre-season training.”