Why Real Madrid should be delighted to beat Manchester United & Paris Saint-Germain to rising star Raphael Varane

Short Profile: 
Born in Lille, 1993
Club Team: RC Lens

• A towering centre-back, Varane is 6ft 3in
• Made his league debut aged 17 in November 2010
• Has three caps for France Under-21 side
• Can also play in defensive midfield and sweeper
• Joined Lens from AC Hellemmes aged nine

Raphael Varane is a young defender who has certainly got people talking.

Since breaking into the Lens first XI amid an injury crisis during the autumn, his reputation as a prodigious talent has grown exponentially to the casual football supporter, though he has long been courted by the likes of Manchester United, who continue to maintain an interest in the 18-year-old.

It is, however, Real Madrid who have seemingly claimed victory in the chase for the France Under-21 international, aided by the words of legendary World Cup-winner Zinedine Zidane. The revered midfielder reportedly played a significant role in persuading the youngster that he would have an opportunity to shine under the Bernabeu’s lights as a first-team squad member.

To win the race for his signature was no easy task. Paris Saint-Germain and hometown club Lille both offered guarantees of regular football from the outset, while the lure of the Premier League was also appealing, with Arsenal rumoured to have made a late rally to secure his services.

Though he lacks in experience, the Nord-Pas de Calais native is certainly equipped with all the attributes that will allow him to make it to the top of the game. As well as a sound mind, he is blessed with a frame that belies his years, and his solid build means that he is already able to tussle competitively with the majority of strikers, while he is also fleet of foot, allowing him to recover from any slips that are made by those alongside him.

Coming from a stable of promising young teenagers that also includes fellow centre-back Geoffrey Kondogbia and Thorgan Hazard, Eden’s 18-year-old brother, Varane receives top billing, and given his outstanding contribution for Lens in the second half of last season, it is little wonder.

But there is, of course, a mammoth chasm to be bridged between playing for the Ligue 2 side and the nine-time European champions.

Lens president Gervais Martel offered his support to the teenager on Wednesday, when revealing the club were in talks with the Spanish giants, signalling a belief that Varane, who has also been employed as a holding midfielder this season, can be a genuine factor in Spain next season. “Some believe that Raphael will not play [first team football] there,” he told les Sang et Or’s official website. “I can tell you he will not go to Real Madrid to repaint the changing rooms!”


Source: Goal.com