Raphael Varane could be about to get what he first wanted at Manchester United

When Manchester United made the decision to invest up to £43million in Raphael Varane's signature in August 2021, the club knew exactly what sort of player they were about to inherit.

The Frenchman had spent exactly a decade at Spanish giants Real Madrid, enjoying a trophy-laden ten years. He won a total of 18 major honours during his time in the Spanish capital, including three La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns.

Having played alongside the likes of Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo, Varane was a natural winner, comfortable of playing in high-pressure situations. He had won just about everything a footballer could wish to lay their hands on during his time with Los Blancos, including the World Cup on the international stage with France.

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Explaining why United had made the decision to sign him, former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: "I'm absolutely delighted that we have managed to secure one of the best defenders in the world over the last ten years. Raphael is a proven winner who we have tracked over a long period of time and we know just how much of a dedicated professional he is.

"We have great depth of international defenders and he will add his immense skill set and leadership to that group. He is a unique defender with a rare combination of top-level attributes that I know will rub off on our younger players.

"He has won everything there is to win but I know that he is still determined to succeed, I can't wait to welcome him into the squad."

Though injuries have stopped Varane from being an ever-present figure since joining United, he has been magnificent in almost all of his 60 appearances for the