With apologies to Bono, The Edge and the rest of U2, all is not quiet, on New Year’s Day. At least not in the Manchester United transfer portal. According to a report in ESPN today, United will not trigger the one-year extension for central defender Raphael Varane. This is totally expected.
Varane has seen more playing time as of late, but he had fallen very far down the center back pecking order for much of this season.
For MUFC Transfer Talk Part 2 go here
The Frenchman is now free to negotiate with clubs outside of England, with a free transfer now available to him this summer, when his current United deal expires.
While there is still a possibility that the club will renegotiate with his agent, and Varane could still get a new deal that would keep him at the club beyond this season…it almost certainly won’t happen.
The Varane situation is somewhat similar to what happened with David de Gea, in that you have a very accomplished, high-earning seasoned veteran…who they don’t want to pay.
That seems to be the common theme among players who fall out with manager Erik ten Hag- they are always among the very highest earners at the club.
Jadon Sancho fits this category as well, but he’s not a perfect analogy, as he’s given the club ample reasons for moving him on, and those reasons go far beyond just the fact that he’s overpaid.
Moving on, as it is Jan. 1 and thus the official opening of the new transfer window, new deals can now be formally announced. Such is the case with expensive flop and benchwarmer Donny van de Beek.
As we reported close to two weeks ago, Van de Beek is joining Eintracht Frankfurt on loan this season.
Donny van de Beek on Instagram.
“New year, new chapter! Really happy to be part of this great club. [Eintracht Frankfurt].”
Go smash it, Donny! ?? pic.twitter.com/QdZXI0cZmU
— UF (@UtdFaithfuls) January 1, 2024
This is the second time that United have sent Van de Beek out on loan, as they figure out what to finally do with the young Dutchman. They just can’t seem to find a buyer for him.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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