BANGKOK, THAILAND - 2022/07/12: Raphael Varane of Manchester United seen in action during the preseason match between Manchester United against Liverpool at Rajamangala stadium. (Final score; Manchester United 4:0 Liverpool). (Photo by Amphol Thongmueangluang/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Despite a difficult debut season in England, Raphael Varane has admitted that he does not regret joining Manchester United from Real Madrid.
The French World Cup winner arrived at Old Trafford on a wave of optimism as part of a 2021 splurge that also saw United sign Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo.
But things soon went awry for Red Devils. Poor results led to the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and interim replacement Ralf Rangnick only managed to lead the side to sixth, while injuries restricted the defender to just 20 league starts.
But instead United endured their worst season in Premier League history, while Real Madrid went on to win La Liga and the UEFA Champions League without Varane.
When asked by PA about whether or not he regretted the decision to move to Old Trafford last year, Varane replied: “Absolutely not.
“I think in football you have to challenge yourself and you have to try to improve and I wanted to live another experience after 10 years in the same place – so, no.” he added.
“I think the Premier League is absolutely fantastic and Manchester United are a great club, so there was no doubt about my decision.”
The defender also discussed the disappointment of last season and how the club can improve moving forward: “It was not the best season, the best results.
“Obviously I wanted to play a little bit more but that’s part of football and we’re looking forward for the next season.
“I think a lot of things we could do better and obviously we want to improve for the next season. I think we need consistency and we need to build this confidence.”
