Man United ace Raphael Varane makes Barcelona claim ahead of Old Trafford clash

Manchester United centre-back Raphael Varane is 'proud' of the Reds' progression under Erik ten Hag as the club prepare for two of the most important matches in recent years.

Ten Hag's men welcome Barcelona to Old Trafford for the second leg of their Europa League play off tie on Thursday night, before travelling to Wembley to face Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday afternoon.

The Reds are desperate to win both matches, with United missing out on Champions League football this season and having failed to win a trophy since 2017. The team are the only side in England still competing on all four fronts, and Varane has expressed his delight about competing in these sort of matches in a red shirt.

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Varane, who signed for United from Real Madrid in the summer of 2021, believes the Reds are coming up against 'the best team in the world' in Barcelona on Thursday.

"I’m very proud," Varane told club media. "When I came here I wanted to work, to build a new project and to be back on the top. Now we are fighting against the best team in the world and we have a great opportunity to play a final."

The 29-year-old Frenchman retired from international football earlier this month, which comes a boost to United. The defender has been an integral part of Ten Hag's side this term and the Reds have lost just once with him in the starting line-up since October.

Having won 15 times in the last 19 matches, United currently find themselves third in the Premier League table and still competing in all three cup competitions. With that in mind, Varane sees no reason to limit what the team should be targeting between now and the end of the