Manchester United are looking at the French defender tipped to take over from Raphael Varane's considerable mantle – for club and country
(Image credit: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Manchester United are poised to make a move for Raphael Varane's successor in defence.
Last month, the highly-decorated defender announced his retirement from international football, aged just 29. In 10 years of playing for the French national side, Varane won the World Cup and the Nations League, making 93 caps.
In an injury-plagued time at Manchester United, Varane has been essential to the defence – but now, thoughts are turning to a future without the centre-back for both club and country.
Raphael Varane has won almost everything for at both domestic and international level (Image credit: PA)
One late inclusion to France's World Cup squad, Axel Disasi is a target for United, according to CaughtOffside. The Monaco stopper was given a debut in Qatar and will likely feature a lot more in the coming years with Varane out of the set-up – with French football expert Jonathan Johnson suggesting that the 25-year-old could be a solid squad option for Erik ten Hag, if not an elite answer for the back four.
“Monaco defender Axel Disasi is an interesting player who’s starting to attract links with the likes of Manchester United ahead of the summer,” Johnson said.
“He’s in that kind of ‘finishing school’ phase that Aurelien Tchouameni was in when he was there, and that someone like Wesley Fofana is in with Chelsea right now. He’s now made the breakthrough at international level and that’s helped get him onto the radar of a number of big clubs. For someone like United, I think he would add competition to their squad, but I do have questions about whether or not he’d be the best fit for Erik ten Hag’s side and where they are now.”
“I think Disasi will definitely be coveted by Premier League clubs in the future, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it ended up being someone a level below Manchester United, one of those clubs aspiring to get it into the Champions League reckoning.”
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Axel Disasi has been tipped for a big future (Image credit: Michael Regan - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
While not expected to reach the heights that Varane has in his career, the added cover for United would certainly be welcome. Luke Shaw has had to fill in at centre-back this season, while Harry Maguire has not been fully trusted by Ten Hag.
Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
