Chelsea FC Transfer Rumors: Key Transfer Targets – Part 2
Raphaël Varane
Lauded by Jose Mourinho, who signed him for Real Madrid in 2011 for 8 million pounds as a budding 18-year old, as “the best young defender in the world”, it is difficult not to agree considering how far he has risen in stature, especially playing for a club like Real Madrid which is considered to be the biggest football club in the world.
He is a technically gifted ball playing defender, quick, comfortable with the ball at his feet and a very good passer. He also offers serious aerial threat both in attack and defence and is very proactive, with a sharp football brain, always trying to stop attacks as far away from goal as possible.
While he didn’t get much game time in his first season at Real Madrid, Mourinho showed his confidence in the youngster’s abilities by fielding him in key games the following season, including both legs of the El Clasico clash with Barcelona in the 2012-2013 Copa Del Rey, which Madrid won 4-2 on aggregate, with Varane scoring in both legs. He also put up key performances in Real Madrid’s elimination of Manchester United in the Champion’s League.
His performances for Real Madrid earned him a call-up to the French national team in 2012, although he had to wait till March 2013 to make his debut for the team and hasn’t looked back since, becoming a first team regular and being included in Didier Deschamps squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where he made 5 appearances and was included in a 3-man shortlist for Best Young Player (eventually won by team-mate Paul Pogba).
While he struggled to get games in the early stages of the La Liga in the 2014-2015 season, largely due to recurring injury problems, he was eventually selected more after the winter break, making 27 appearances (21 starts), but he started all but one of Real Madrid’s Champions League games. Despite his limited game time, he signed a new six-year contract in September 2014 which will keep him at the club till 2020.
Mourinho is still a huge admirer of the 22-year old and sees him as a future replacement for the aging John Terry, as well as a future partner for 20-year old Kurt Zouma (whom he considers as the second best young defender in the world).
And despite the youngster’s praise of new Real Madrid boss Rafael Benitez, who replaces Carlo Ancelotti, recent reports indicate that Real Madrid may be willing to offload him in a bid to sign Juventus’ Leonardo Bonucci, which should be good news for Chelsea FC as his expected 32 million pounds transfer fee may not prove to be much of a stumbling block.
Next: Toby Alderweireld