Manchester United are poised to take a huge risk with Raphael Varane

Raphael Varane is set to leave Real Madrid for Manchester United, but his success in the Premier League is far from guaranteed. 

Finding the right centre back partner for Harry Maguire is correctly one of Manchester United’s top summer priorities. The Premier League giants believe Raphael Varane is the perfect solution to their defensive problems. The Frenchman’s recent play for both club and country raises significant questions over whether or not he’ll really give United the boost they are looking for.

According to The Independent, Varane is mentally prepared to leave Real Madrid for the new challenge awaiting him at Old Trafford. The two clubs have yet to agree on a transfer fee for the French international, but that should just be a formality given Varane’s desire to leave and declining contract with the Spanish giants.

He’ll almost certainly be an upgrade over the host of players who tried to hold down the starting position beside Maguire last season. The question is whether or not he’s well suited to become the Premier League star higher-ups at Manchester United believe he can be.

There is a chance Raphael Varane flops with Manchester United

It’s easy to understand why United are attracted to Varane as a player. They saw how he provided balance for Real Madrid’s defence playing alongside Sergio Ramos and envision a similar impact next to Maguire. Varane lacks the size and strength to be a dominant defender, but he makes up for those deficiencies with his ability to read the game at a high level.

His physical deficiencies are likely to be highlighted more in the Premier League than they were in La Liga. English attackers may lack skill when compared to their Spanish counterparts, but they are generally bigger and stronger players. There are, of course, exceptions to that rule, but Varane will be asked to play more physical football next season if he does make the move to United.

Varane’s inconsistent play for France in the Euros only adds to doubts about his ability to thrive in the Premier League. The defending World Cup Champions struggled mightily to handle physical strikers with their back three. The blame for those struggles doesn’t all go to Varane, but he certainly must shoulder his fair share.

Ultimately, Varane does profile as a solid starting centre back for United for the next several seasons. The idea that he’ll struggle mightily shouldn’t be ruled out entirely though. His finesse-based game isn’t an ideal fit for the physical rigors of life in the Premier League.