Varane - The best French defender ever?

The year is 2018, Raphaël Varane and Real Madrid had achieved the unthinkable of winning three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles. Two months later, France won their first World Cup trophy since 1998 (overall second), and none other than Varane led their backline.

2017-18 Season Stats

UEFA Champions League 2017-18 Quarter-Final, Real Madrid Vs Bayern Munich

In the 2017-18 season, he played 3,259 minutes in 38 matches with 70% tackles won and a pass rate success of 91%. He made 173 clearances, out of which 90 were headed clearances, 47 interceptions, received four yellow cards and assisted two goals.

While his compatriot, Samuel Umtiti, played almost 3,000 mins in 34 matches with a 91% pass rate and won 67% of his committed tackles. He also made 91 clearances, made a resounding 57 interceptions, received seven yellow cards and scored one goal, rounding up his performance for Barcelona.

The 2018 World Cup was the icing on the cake that season for both the French defenders. The 29-year-old played relentlessly for 630 minutes in the most prestigious tournament in the world, making his presence felt in each of the matches.

He had an 87% pass rate, won 100% of his tackles, made 44 clearances with 26 being headed clearances, five interceptions and scored one goal. Umititi displayed something similar, for both to become champions of the world and an unbeatable defending duo.

Fast forward to 2021-22, Varane is 29 years old now, playing for Manchester United with a truck load of trophies and experience with him. However, post 2018, his form significantly declined not only for Real Madrid but also for France. His decline became notable whilst playing in Red Devils colors.

Manchester United, in the summer of 2021, were required to bring in an established defender to build a formidable partnership alongside captain Harry Maguire. At the time, the Frenchman's trophy cabinet included:

• 4 X Champions League
• 1 X World Cup’s winners’ medal
• 4 X Club World Cups
• 3 X European Super Cups
• 3 X La Liga titles
• 1 X Spanish Cup
• 3 X Spanish Super Cup
• 1 X UEFA Nations League.

He was available for just €41 million, was at the peak of his powers, and was considered an excellent acquisition. But it didn’t pan out as United would have hoped for, at the beginning of the season. Keeping Maguire’s woes aside, Varane struggled with injuries and struggled to show his dominance at the back whenever he was available to play.

In his first full Premier League season, Varane played 22 games, scoring and assisting once. United won 10 of those games and kept five clean sheets in them. The Frenchman registered 28 tackles with an accuracy of 68%, made 18 interceptions, 78 clearances and recoveries each and won 92 of his 130 attempted duels.

While the veteran defender had a subpar season, his junior compatriots had a very fruitful one. In the recently announced French squad for the Nations League, only Presnel Kimpembe, Jules Koundé, Lucas Hernandez and William Saliba have been selected alongside Varane for the center-back role.

But why Varane Still?

Varane posing with the World Cup

Varane is adequate as a 'ball-playing' defender, as he possesses excellent technique in his passes. He puts perfect weight on his passes, which is a difficult skill when playing against a low defensive block. Another trait that he is well regarded for is his exceptional positional and awareness play. He displays the perfect off-the-ball movement that all players with aerial dominance seem to possess. He is a defender who wins his ground and aerial duels.

Varane might have had an underwhelming season with United compared to the seasons Koundé, Kimpembe and Saliba had at their respective clubs. However, he brings with him loads of experience required to lead the defense of a high-achieving national team. He has unparalleled physical and technical qualities, and a calming presence that is essential to have in a defensive line, to keep them in sync.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner is just 29 years old and has the potential to reach his best again. At the same time, Manchester United are trying to rebuild themselves and have begun their revolution under new manager Erik ten Hag. The former Ajax coach might be the right man not only for United but also for the France international, who will look to take the club back to its glory days.