One-time 'Real Wallace' is 'on the Man Utd bench'

Rafael Varane could leave Manchester United on a free transfer next summer.

British outlet The Athletic reported on Thursday (June 14) that "Baran's current contract expires at the end of this season. It includes an option to extend for a further year. United said Baran signed paperwork to stay until June 2025 when he joined from Real Madrid in August 2021."

"There has been talk of selling him as his playing time has dwindled of late, but discussions about his future need to happen sooner rather than later. Players who are six months out of contract are allowed to talk to non-English clubs and sign pre-contracts."

Varane has had a long career at Real Madrid after coming through the ranks at Reims. He emerged from the ranks of the youth ranks to become one of the club's key defenders. He won several trophies with the club, including the La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League (UCL).

Faced with an expiring contract, Varane decided to make the move. He made his first appearance in the Premier League (PL) when he joined Manchester United for a transfer fee of €40 million. Immediately after joining, he performed well. He made 22 appearances, scoring one goal and providing one assist. Despite being plagued by frequent injuries, he still managed to establish himself last season, playing 34 games.

This season, Baran's situation is completely different. An injury at the beginning of the season kept him out of action for a while. Since then, his playing time has dwindled. Coach Ten Haag seemed to trust Lisandro Martinez 메이저사이트 more. Baran continued to find himself on the bench more often than not. He was given fewer chances than Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans, leading to rumors of a falling out with the manager.

This led to transfer speculation. There were even reports of interest from Saudi Arabia. Contrary to popular belief, Varane's contract is set to expire in the summer of 2024. "United will allow Varane to leave on a free transfer if they want to save a year's worth of wages, worth £13 million," the outlet explained.