Why Varane and Casemiro will not leave Man Utd in January - opinion
"Rumours", that's how Erik ten Hag addressed questions about Varane's place at the club on Friday, "It's just rumours."
And you fancy that's all it is. In international week. In a flat news cycle. Such "rumours" are floated. No great substance to them. No real explanation. They just keep the cycle spinning - with spinning being the operative word.
Granted, Varane may be frustrated being left on the bench. As he should be. But no one can claim Harry Maguire doesn't deserve his place ahead of him. And while the Frenchman will want to play, part of the reason he was brought to the club are the results we're now seeing from Maguire. At a club the size of United. With the ambitions they have. You want such competition. "(Varane is a) very important player," Ten Hag also stated at that presser, "but there's internal competition and there should be at a top club, as we are."
"And when you decide on two players who do brilliant - Raphael Varane and Harry Maguire - you also have to make a choice for that position."
Do you really think Ten Hag is going sanction the sale of a player he's just described as "brilliant"? Of course not. It's just competition. Indeed, it was only a month ago when that Man Utd mole was putting it about that the players were upset with Ten Hag for playing his favourites - including Varane - ahead of the likes of Maguire. So where's that leaker now...?
And for Varane, we can say the same for Casemiro. This column being told last week that there's "no chance" anyone would countenance the prospect of selling the Brazil international in January. There's frustration with the midfielder's hamstring setback, sure. But that frustration stems from knowing how big a void Casemiro's absence leaves. No one inside the club is considering his sale. And the feedback from the player's camp mirrors that stand.
Like Varane, Casemiro didn't leave Real Madrid for a quick stop-over before moving elsewhere. Both players joined the club with their eyes wide open. They joined a project. A rebuilding job. An institution the size and scale of Real Madrid which had fallen on hard times. They knew it was going to be a grind, yet accepted the challenge.
So the idea that either player is planning to skip out carries no weight. As does the claim that Ten Hag would even invite the thought. There's no replacing such players in January. Either man's departure would leave the team weaker. It really is a story that makes little sense.
Even though they weren't ever-present last season, it was Casemiro and Varane who played key roles in the club's revival. A League Cup triumph. A run to the FA Cup final. And Champions League qualification. In terms of campaigns post-Fergie, it was as good as anything we've seen from United these past ten years. And both ex-Real players played their part. Varane was outstanding alongside Lisandro Martinez. Casemiro superb in United's midfield. The Madridista press were lamenting the decision to let the Brazilian leave. Just as Didier Deschamps was regarding Varane's choice to retire from international football.
The injuries are unfortunate. But they happen. It's football. But surely memories can't be that short? Both players have been outstanding in a Manchester United shirt. Ten Hag knows having a fit Casemiro and Varane in his starting XI makes the team better. And if they're not on that team sheet, then those selected ahead of them will be playing some bloody good football.
And that's just it, it's the total package. If this talk is being driven by Sir Jim Ratcliffe's office, as has been claimed (though this column is yet to have this confirmed), then the club is in for another drawn-out period of adjustment. A youth policy at a club the size of Nice, is very different to trying to enact the same at United. This is what Ten Hag was getting at when comparing his former Ajax team to what he's working with now. You need that good, positive influence from experienced leaders to handle the demands of a club of United's stature. The pressure comes from everywhere. And you need strong personalities to lead a team through it.
Again, just as on the pitch, this is what Casemiro and Varane have brought to the dressing room since their arrival. You just can't replace that. The pair have been a major influence on the positive change we've seen sweep through the locker room over these past 18 months.
Parting with Varane and Casemiro would be crazy. Mad. Indeed, so much so that you fancy it's a story with no genuine substance behind it at all.
