Recently departed Man Utd star already facing contract termination, as ‘super exciting’ move quickly turns sour

Former Manchester United defender Raphael Varane is in serious danger of seeing his contract with Como terminated just one month into a two-year deal, according to a report.

Varane was among a cluster of stars who left Man Utd as free agents on June 30. Brandon Williams and Anthony Martial both departed, while Omari Forson also made way after rejecting a new contract offer from the club.

Varane was not overly keen on securing a rumoured switch to Saudi Arabia. Instead, the French veteran favoured remaining in Europe and went on to sign with Serie A side Como.

Como are managed by Spanish legend Cesc Fabregas and the club embarked on an ambitious summer recruitment drive after returning to Serie A for the first time in 21 years.

Aside from Varane, the Italian side also signed familiar older faces such as Pepe Reina, Sergi Roberto, Alberto Moreno and Andrea Belotti.

A handful of up and coming stars such as Maximo Perrone (Manchester City) and Nico Paz (Real Madrid) were also brought on board.

However, one player the left-field move has not worked out for so far is Varane who suffered an injury during his debut in the Coppa Italia first round defeat to Sampdoria.

The exact nature of Varane’s injury is the subject of mass confusion, with some outlets claiming it’s a knee issue and just as many other publications claiming it’s a thigh problem.

In any case, what is clear is Varane is on the sidelines and the latest from Italy claims his Como career could already be over.

That comes after Varane was not included in Como’s 25-man squad for the Serie A season, which was finalised after Friday’s night’s transfer deadline passed.

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Como consider terminating Varane’s contract

Sport Mediaset reported: ‘Raphael Varane has been excluded from the list of 25 players handed over by Como to Lega Serie A for the 2024/25 season.

‘The veteran French defender, former Real Madrid and Manchester Utd, arrived in the summer as a free agent but was injured before the start of the championship.

‘Varane was injured on his debut in the Coppa Italia against Sampdoria, now Como is also considering terminating his contract.’

Como would not be eligible to register Varane as part of their Serie A squad until after the January transfer window.

But rather than wait six months, the suggestion is Como are weighing up whether to cut the 31-year-old loose just five weeks into his two-year deal.

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Varane had high hopes for “super exciting” Como move

Varane previously spoke to Man Utd’s official club media regarding the Como move.

The defender admitted the lure of playing for Fabregas – who was often his foe from their time at Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively – was a big draw.

Furthermore, Varane described the project at Como as a “super exciting” one, though it now appears to have turned sour.

“At first, I was curious to find out what the project was all about, and then I immediately saw that it was special,” said Varane two days after sealing his move to Como in late-July. “Different from any other I’d been offered, so I wanted to know more.

“The more I learned about the project, the more interesting it became, giving me a different perspective on what I wanted to do. Once the project came along, it went straight to the top of the list, and we managed to close the deal.

“I’m very happy. There’s a lot to do, and it’s very exciting. I have a lot of experience at the highest level and now, to be able to share that knowledge and help a club build itself up and hopefully reach the top, is super exciting.

“I’m meeting Cesc again but not as an opponent this time. I really like his philosophy of play and his passion for football.

“When we spoke, it was so easy to understand each other, so I hope we’ll have very positive results. In any case, I’m coming with a great deal of humility to help the team and the club grow.”

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