By Raphael Varane has sent a farewell message to Real Madrid faithful ahead of his departure for Manchester United for a record fee of £42million.
Varane had been a mainstay in defence alongside new PSG signee Sergio Ramos 34 La Liga champions that saw them clinch four UEFA Champions League titles and four FIFA Club World Cup titles.
Manchester United had been in pursuit of the highly-rated French defender despite still having a contract that would have kept him at the Bernabeu until 2022. The English side had announced that they had reached an agreement with Spanish giants, “subject to a medical and to player terms being finalised.”
In an emotional message sent out through his Instagram handle, the 28-year-old was quick to show his appreciation to the Madrid fans saying.
“Many thanks also to all the Madridistas who always gave me a lot of affection and with their great demand they pushed me to give my best and fight for every success.”
‘”I want to leave you all with the feeling that I’m leaving having given everything and having experienced unique moments,” the message went further.
He also heaped praises on previous coaches who were integral in moulding him into a good defender
“I would like to thank all the coaches and all the people who work or have worked at the club for everything they have done for me,” he said.
Not leaving out his soon-to-be-former teammates the message further read ” I have had the honor of sharing a dressing room with the best players in the world. Countless victories that I will never forget, especially “La Décima.”
United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been looking for a centre-back to partner his captain Harry Maguire for some time.
In an interview on the United’s official site, the Norwegian lauded the defender’s approach to the game saying “He’s proved over his whole career what a good person he is first of all, professional and he’s won what there is to win.”
Elsewhere, reacting to the transfer, Ramos also posted on his Instagram handle:
“Dear Rapha, I can only thank you for these years of friendship, companionship, and triumphs.
“And wish you luck in a new stage that will surely be exciting.”
Ramos sealed a two-year deal with French giants Paris Saint-Germain for an undisclosed fee in early July 2021.
The 35-year-old was in the mood for jokes: “If we face each other, always with the team of your country, right?”
Varane now joins 75 million Euros signing Jadon Sancho in a show of intent from United that they are ready to breach the gap between them and rivals Man City, who won the Premier League by 12 points last season.
