"Simply the best" - Raphael Varane names current Manchester United superstar as the best player he has ever played with 

Manchester United centre-back Raphael Varane has heaped praise on teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, hailing him as the best player he has ever played with.

Ronaldo and Varane reunited last summer at Old Trafford, having previously spent seven seasons sharing the dressing room at Real Madrid. The duo won a plethora of silverware during their time together at the Santiago Bernabeu, bagging four Champions League trophies and two La Liga titles (total three), amongst other honors.

On GOAL's 'Simply The Best', Varane was asked to name the best footballer he has ever played alongside. The French defender unhesitantly took Ronaldo’s name. Replying to the question, he said:

“Cristiano Ronaldo, top player, top professional, simply the best.”

Ronaldo emerged as Manchester United’s beacon of hope amid the doom and gloom of the 2021-22 season. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner found the back of the net 18 times in 30 Premier League appearances, emerging as their leading scorer and the division’s third-highest goalscorer. Only joint top-scorers Mohamed Salah and Heung-min Son (23 each) scored more goals than the Portuguese superstar last season.

---

Manchester United could sign Ronaldo and Varane’s former Real Madrid teammate in a matter of hours

Having endured two consecutive Premier League defeats this season, Manchester United are supposedly preparing to turn their fortunes around with a blockbuster transfer. Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro has emerged as a surprise target for the Red Devils and it is believed that the club are confident about pulling off the transfer

Here’s what transfer expert Fabrizio Romano tweeted about the potential move:

Signing five-time Champions League winner Casemiro could do wonders for United’s morale. The Brazil international is not the best distributor of the ball but the importance of his ability to suffocate opposition players in the middle cannot be overstated.

Casemiro, who is seen as an integral member of Los Blancos, shared the dressing room with Ronaldo for four seasons and with Varane for seven seasons. They got along effortlessly at Real Madrid and Erik ten Hag will hope for them to bring that cohesion at Old Trafford.

Casemiro has thus far played 336 games for Los Blancos, recording 31 goals and 29 assists.