Raphaël Varane is on the move, and reports say the France defender’s next club could be a surprise.
Reports from Mexico have Liga MX powerhouse Tigres preparing an offer for the 31-year-old, who will be a free agent after announcing that he will leave Manchester United when his contract expires at the end of this season.
TV Azteca show “En Caliente” featured a discussion in which members of the panel asserted that Tigres will “surprise” observers by signing “a central defender from Europe.”
Speaking on ESPN’s “Fútbol Picante,” journalist Jose Ramón Fernández went one step further, citing Tigres as being interested in “a player like Varane.”
On Friday, Transfers said that Tigres would do “everything they can” to secure Varane’s signature.
Varane made 30 total appearances for Man United in the 2023-24 season, though he hasn’t played in a match since early April due to an injury. A range of knocks, including muscular, foot, and ankle problems — not to mention the club’s inconsistent performances — kept Varane from truly thriving during his three seasons at Old Trafford.
However, the World Cup winner would nevertheless represent a massive signing for Tigres and Liga MX.
Tigres has history of Varane-level moves
Varane will surely have many suitors, and was allegedly pursued by Saudi Arabian clubs in late 2022 and early 2023.
That said, Tigres has a history of expanding beyond Liga MX’s normal geographic footprint when it comes to transfers. While many Mexican clubs tend to emphasize developing players in their academies and signing players from CONMEBOL leagues, the Monterrey-based side has a club legend in the form of former France forward André-Pierre Gignac.
Since signing the striker in 2015, Tigres has brought in multiple French players, most notably Florian Thauvin (Varane’s teammate on France’s 2018 World Cup-winning roster). While Gignac’s impact has not yet been matched, Tigres has shown an ability to convince European-based players to come to Mexico, which has been something of a rare occurrence around the rest of Liga MX.
Similarly, Tigres has managed to complete some unexpected moves in women’s soccer. Spain star Jenni Hermoso currently headlines Tigres Femenil’s impressive squad, while U.S. women’s national team forward Mia Fishel opted to start her pro career at the club rather than pursue an NWSL deal after being drafted by the Orlando Pride.
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