Raphael Varane | Signed for United!

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Adam-Utd

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Add Neves and would be a fantastic window. Varane is easily the best CB available on the market for price and quality.
If Matic leaves like we expect then it wouldn't be the worst move in the world, better than rice for £70m that's for sure. A midfield option of Fred/Mctominay/Pogba/DVB/Neves would be decent.
 

Brwned

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Agree with this.
Whenever I watch Varane I always feel he is not a committed defender, elegant,yes, controlled , yes, but in the EPL you have to be forceful, I do not feel he is that type of CB.
Some people like Kounde, but like others I feel his lack of height are a problem in the EPL. Name United's best CB's from the past, all had a physical presence. Name me a successful small CB in the Premier league era?
The most successful CB's over the last 2 seasons, Van Diyk & Dias, have a physical presence.
Not watched enough of some of the other CB's we have been linked with to make a choice, but I am sure our scouts have and can identify such a CB.
I don't think you could call Rio forceful. Great physical qualities but controlled and elegant, much like Varane. The classic stopper-sweeper, silk and steel style combo has worked in every league and every generation. Van Dijk and Dias had the elegant, controlled partner alongside them doing a lot of vital work too...that's exactly the kind of player Gomez and Stones are. Only Varane is physically much more gifted.
 

Idxomer

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Not worth anything more than 30m with one year left on his contract and he's not that good anyway.
 

Lash

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If Matic leaves like we expect then it wouldn't be the worst move in the world, better than rice for £70m that's for sure. A midfield option of Fred/Mctominay/Pogba/DVB/Neves would be decent.
Very within budget with sales too
 

ivaldo

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While I dont rate him as highly as a lot of posters



Maguire and Lindelof had the most goals conceded whilst on the pitch per 90 mins out of these CBs and Varane had the least and also less than Ramos his regular CB partner.

Real Madrid average over 57% of the ball per game, while we average 54.5% I'm sure its a factor but still, suggests that Varane would be one of many many CBs who could help us concede less goals
No it doesn't.
 

RedSky

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If we're wanting a CB that's better than Lindelof in the air, then Kounde is not that player, he's worse.
Player​
Season​
Mins​
Total Aerial Duels​
Aerial Won​
Aerial Lost​
% Won​
Min Per Aerial Duel​
Raphael Varane​
20-21​
2717​
96​
73​
23​
76%​
28.3​
Raphael Varane​
19-20​
2823​
117​
81​
36​
69%​
24.1​
Victor Lindelöf​
19-20​
3094​
146​
96​
50​
66%​
21.2​
Victor Lindelöf​
20-21​
2586​
101​
64​
37​
63%​
25.6​
Jules Koundé​
19-20​
2307​
149​
94​
55​
63%​
15.5​
Jules Koundé​
20-21​
2976​
169​
102​
67​
60%​
17.6​

If you total the last 4 seasons worth of league data, then you'd get the following order:

PlayerMinsTotal Aerial DuelsAerial WonAerial Lost% Won
Raphael Varane1062142229712570%
Victor Lindelöf956640425115362%
Jules Koundé1020159434624858%
 

Dans

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While I dont rate him as highly as a lot of posters



Maguire and Lindelof had the most goals conceded whilst on the pitch per 90 mins out of these CBs and Varane had the least and also less than Ramos his regular CB partner.

Real Madrid average over 57% of the ball per game, while we average 54.5% I'm sure its a factor but still, suggests that Varane would be one of many many CBs who could help us concede less goals
Do these kinds of stats take into account the quality of the opposition at all?
 

Dans

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If Varane works out, they should (on paper) form a fantastic partnership.

Interesting though, if rumours (Castles) are to be believed, Maguire wants an English speaking partner. If we dump Lindelof for Varane, we go from 90 % fluent in English to what, 10 %? Harry would be thrilled :p
Harry should learn some kin languages. Lazy.
 

DWelbz19

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No more young CB projects. We have the chance of bringing one of the most experienced CBs in the world right now and he's still only 28 years old and he's won countless trophies. He'd be an exceptional signing.
My train of thought also. The CB position is not really one you often get youth prodigies in - and younger talented ones are quite hard to linearly predict -- Bailly, Lindelof... Heck, you can go back further to Jones, Smalling, and Evans too.
 

r3idy

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Do these kinds of stats take into account the quality of the opposition at all?
Well it can't

One is quantitative data set comparing players and quality of opposition is more subjective.
 

Womp

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Nice. Hes achieved everything and especially now that Zidane looks to be leaving and Madrid trying to rebuild I can see why he wants to go. Though it would always look suspicious when a top player in Madrid or Barcelona wants to leave for a 'new challenge'
Eh, those clubs are really struggling. Strapped for cash, huge question marks over their future in the CL, at least in the short term and they have ageing squads that they need to rebuild. It could be a rough few years, which is why I wouldn't be surprised to see their star players having their heads turned.
 

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After Ramos, I can’t believe the club is being pulled in by Varane when it seems clear we’re being used in negotiations with Madrid. We never learn. Just cut the nonsense and pay Torres’ €50 million release clause.
 

lysglimt

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Just out of curiosity - how many english players would in the heat of the battle, understand a fast-talking, exhausted scottish player with a strong accent ? And how many british players would understand Harry Kane ? :)
 

Bubz27

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Agree with this.
Whenever I watch Varane I always feel he is not a committed defender, elegant,yes, controlled , yes, but in the EPL you have to be forceful, I do not feel he is that type of CB.
Some people like Kounde, but like others I feel his lack of height are a problem in the EPL. Name United's best CB's from the past, all had a physical presence. Name me a successful small CB in the Premier league era?
The most successful CB's over the last 2 seasons, Van Diyk & Dias, have a physical presence.
Not watched enough of some of the other CB's we have been linked with to make a choice, but I am sure our scouts have and can identify such a CB.
I'm not sold on Kounde either but not for the reasons youve said. Have you watched him much? He's extremely physical. Almost makes up for his height in one on one duels.
 

Rozay

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After Ramos, I can’t believe the club is being pulled in by Varane when it seems clear we’re being used in negotiations with Madrid. We never learn. Just cut the nonsense and pay Torres’ €50 million release clause.
So basically, it is impossible for a football player to leave Real Madrid?
 

red thru&thru

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While I dont rate him as highly as a lot of posters



Maguire and Lindelof had the most goals conceded whilst on the pitch per 90 mins out of these CBs and Varane had the least and also less than Ramos his regular CB partner.

Real Madrid average over 57% of the ball per game, while we average 54.5% I'm sure its a factor but still, suggests that Varane would be one of many many CBs who could help us concede less goals
Can we get the stats of Marqinuhos?
 

Rojofiam

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After Ramos, I can’t believe the club is being pulled in by Varane when it seems clear we’re being used in negotiations with Madrid. We never learn. Just cut the nonsense and pay Torres’ €50 million release clause.
No, he's leaving for real. Whether it's gonna be us that sign him is a different question.
 

Dans

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Well it can't

One is quantitative data set comparing players and quality of opposition is more subjective.
Thought as much. Perhaps an integration of teams played and league standing at that time might help. Thing is, these individual stats whilst useful, can, I believe, be equally misleading. Strong games against average opposition or vice versa could easily lead to extreme performance measurements.
 

Giggsy13

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So basically, it is impossible for a football player to leave Real Madrid?
Of course not, but why would he want to leave? We’ve seen this happen before yet everyone gets their hopes up and is left disappointed. Torres is the better long term option.
 

Rozay

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Of course not, but why would he want to leave? We’ve seen this happen before yet everyone gets their hopes up and is left disappointed. Torres is the better long term option.
Well why wouldn’t he? He isn’t leaving to join Brighton. If he leaves he’ll likely go to United, Cheslea, PSG etc. Madrid aren’t the only club, or even the only great one. It doesn’t have to be a mystery at all why a Real player wants to play for a different club. Very few players want to spend a career at one place, especially when it isn’t their home town/country.

The reasons he may want to leave have been well documented in any case. What’s the point in doing the same thing again and again. And Real Madrid aren’t even that good, frankly. On a purely footballing level, there are probably a fair few better football teams than his current one.
 

JPRouve

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Of course not, but why would he want to leave? We’ve seen this happen before yet everyone gets their hopes up and is left disappointed. Torres is the better long term option.
For the past 3 years the story is that he has been thinking about leaving Madrid to live an other experience somewhere else. IIRC Zidane convinced him to stay in 2019 but Varane refused to extend his contract.
 

golden_blunder

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If we're wanting a CB that's better than Lindelof in the air, then Kounde is not that player, he's worse.
Player​
Season​
Mins​
Total Aerial Duels​
Aerial Won​
Aerial Lost​
% Won​
Min Per Aerial Duel​
Raphael Varane​
20-21​
2717​
96​
73​
23​
76%​
28.3​
Raphael Varane​
19-20​
2823​
117​
81​
36​
69%​
24.1​
Victor Lindelöf​
19-20​
3094​
146​
96​
50​
66%​
21.2​
Victor Lindelöf​
20-21​
2586​
101​
64​
37​
63%​
25.6​
Jules Koundé​
19-20​
2307​
149​
94​
55​
63%​
15.5​
Jules Koundé​
20-21​
2976​
169​
102​
67​
60%​
17.6​

If you total the last 4 seasons worth of league data, then you'd get the following order:

PlayerMinsTotal Aerial DuelsAerial WonAerial Lost% Won
Raphael Varane1062142229712570%
Victor Lindelöf956640425115362%
Jules Koundé1020159434624858%
From your original tables the question has to be asked of our beloved cb why his performance has gone downhill in terms of aerial ability? Presumably this is something he’s aware of and working on?
 

Giggsy13

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For the past 3 years the story is that he has been thinking about leaving Madrid to live an other experience somewhere else. IIRC Zidane convinced him to stay in 2019 but Varane refused to extend his contract.
I wasn't aware of that. But I do wonder if his preferences in living another experience are in London, Turin or Paris rather than Manchester. I'd be pleasantly surprised if we can pull this move off but the cynic in me says no.
 

jamesjimmybyrondean

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I wasn't aware of that. But I do wonder if his preferences in living another experience are in London, Turin or Paris rather than Manchester. I'd be pleasantly surprised if we can pull this move off but the cynic in me says no.
Same. I think he'd prefer a move to PSG or Juve over us if they want him. Even Chelsea too. I just find it hard to imagine him in our red shirt
 

Rozay

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Same. I think he'd prefer a move to PSG or Juve over us if they want him. Even Chelsea too. I just find it hard to imagine him in our red shirt
Seems like you can imagine good players wanting to play for just about any club except Manchester United, where it becomes baffling or something.
 

A-man

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From your original tables the question has to be asked of our beloved cb why his performance has gone downhill in terms of aerial ability? Presumably this is something he’s aware of and working on?
It’s the wrong interpretation of the stats. Going from 66% to 63% is not a significant difference. But the number of attempt has decreased significantly, both for Lindelof and even more for Maguire.
Lindelof attempt 0.7 aerials less per game compared to last season and Maguire 1.2 aerials less per game.

The reason is probably not a decline in Lindelof’s and maguires performances, but another set-up where we are less exposed to crosses and aerials.
 

Varun

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While I dont rate him as highly as a lot of posters



Maguire and Lindelof had the most goals conceded whilst on the pitch per 90 mins out of these CBs and Varane had the least and also less than Ramos his regular CB partner.

Real Madrid average over 57% of the ball per game, while we average 54.5% I'm sure its a factor but still, suggests that Varane would be one of many many CBs who could help us concede less goals
This is such terrible use of data to reach a conclusion, fecking hell
 

TrustInOle

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My train of thought also. The CB position is not really one you often get youth prodigies in - and younger talented ones are quite hard to linearly predict -- Bailly, Lindelof... Heck, you can go back further to Jones, Smalling, and Evans too.
Completley agree, we have built a young squad and have plenty of young defenders coming through. But experience to partner Harry now is important, especially if we are yo-yo-ing around with the GK position again.
 

croadyman

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I can completely understand where people are coming from when they are worried about him wanting to come here just for a big pay day but honestly think challenging himself in a new league will bring out his best form again. I am convinced he is the top target so expecting us to go all in if we get a sense he does really want to leave Real, however if he isn't open to the move then see us moving on to Torres as he looks higher up the shortlist than Kounde now.
 

golden_blunder

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It’s the wrong interpretation of the stats. Going from 66% to 63% is not a significant difference. But the number of attempt has decreased significantly, both for Lindelof and even more for Maguire.
Lindelof attempt 0.7 aerials less per game compared to last season and Maguire 1.2 aerials less per game.

The reason is probably not a decline in Lindelof’s and maguires performances, but another set-up where we are less exposed to crosses and aerials.
I knew you’d pop up!

im only commenting on what I see, maguire is not in the table and the table shows Lindelof not attempting as many headers, though he’s played a bit less in fairness
 

Dve

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Varane is not satisfied with the money offered him at RM, and I can imagine he´ll wait until the bitter end to get as much as possible. He´s on 150k a week now, and 250k should be enough to bring him to United. In late August.
 

Dve

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And according to Pogba, we are signing Griezmann as well ;)
 

croadyman

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Varane is not satisfied with the money offered him at RM, and I can imagine he´ll wait until the bitter end to get as much as possible. He´s on 150k a week now, and 250k should be enough to bring him to United. In late August.
Should offer him £200-£225k
 
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