Manchester United must gamble on Raphael Varane in rebuild

As we enter that period of the season where football supporters analyse the league tables just that little bit closer than usual, Manchester United's supporters are longing for the season to reach its conclusion.

The 2021/22 campaign is not going to be one that any United supporter looks back on with fondness, even if they somehow pull together a shock winning run together to sneak into the top-four. It is not likely to be a campaign that is remembered by Raphael Varane either.

Signed from Real Madrid last summer, Varane — who made a rockstar's entrance ahead of United's 5-1 hammering of Leeds on the opening day of the season at Old Trafford in August — has made just 25 appearances in all competitions this season. That means has missed a third of their fixtures. It has been far from the debut season in England that the Frenchman would have dreamt of.

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United, following the capture of Jadon Sancho in late-July, were determined to sign a world-class central-defender to partner Harry Maguire at the heart of the defence and lay the foundations for a title tilt. In Varane, they could not have sourced a better candidate.

He has built his career on winning trophies, playing alongside star-studded players and performing at the very highest level. What could have possibly gone wrong?

His availability, that's where. He has missed 14 games, 11 of which have been in the Premier League, so United have struggled to develop the partnership between Varane and Maguire they'd earmarked.

It has been a frustrating situation for everyone, not least Varane, who arrived at Old Trafford without an 'injury-prone' tag dangling from his neck. Like