Can Varane boost the clean sheet prospects of Shaw and Man Utd’s FPL defenders?

Raphael Varane (£5.5m) has completed a £43m move to Manchester United, continuing an exciting summer for the Old Trafford faithful.

The France international has spent ten years at Real Madrid, who reluctantly agreed to sell the 28-year-old as he entered the final year of his contract.

Should the transfer be completed smoothly, Varane will join Jadon Sancho (£9.5m) in the new signings lounge, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side look to mount a serious, sustained title challenge.

VARANE’S HISTORY

The Frenchman was born in Lille but came through the ranks at RC Lens, making his debut aged just 17. By the end of his first season, Varane was being chased by Europe’s leading sides. Sir Alex Ferguson thought he had secured the centre-back’s signature until a late phone call from Zinedine Zidane persuaded Varane to instead head to Madrid.

His trophy-laden decade at Los Blancos saw him win three La Liga titles, a Copa del Rey, four Champions Leagues, three UEFA Super Cups, three Supercopa de Espana titles and four FIFA Club World Cups. He also found time to win the World Cup with France in 2018.

Now at the peak age for a centre back, Varane arrives in England with a thirst for trophies and a desire to start a new chapter in his career.

“He’s a proven winner and a player we’ve followed for many, many years. I know Sir Alex was very, very close to signing him and this time around we’ve got him at the other end of his career. He’s proved over his whole career what a good person he is, first of all. [He’s a] professional and he’s won all there is to win.” – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

WHAT VARANE WILL BRING TO UNITED

Solskjaer will be disappointed with how Manchester United’s defence ended the 2020/21 campaign. One clean sheet from the final nine league matches saw them finish with 44 goals conceded, the worst amongst the top four and a tally higher than Arsenal. Brighton in 16th only let in two more, meanwhile.

An average of 11.3 shots per game conceded was bettered by six teams, with United in sixth for fewest big chances conceded.

A total of 13 clean sheets was a respectable tally, nevertheless, and what was notable was that almost half of their shut-outs came in games against the ‘big six’.

Should the composed Varane be able to help cut out the slackness and lapses in concentration against the also-rans of the division (United conceded to every team in the division ranked fifth or below), then that clean sheet count could be boosted further.

Part of the problem was set pieces. The Red Devils committed 454 fouls – the league’s third highest – and conceded 14 times from penalties, corners or free-kicks. 

In Varane, they are adding a pacy defender who is calm under pressure and strong in the air.

A total of 360 appearances for Real Madrid in all competitions brought 113 clean sheets and 17 goals, with the Frenchman being yellow carded on only 27 occasions; Varane was seen as the anti-Sergio Ramos and complemented the Spaniard well.

“When I was little they said I didn’t have the mentality to triumph. I was nice, not enough of a bad guy. My style doesn’t make you think I’m a warrior. Anticipation is the key: you don’t have to touch an opponent to take the ball. I try not to go to ground.” – Raphael Varane

Fans of the Red Devils will hope he has a similar connection with Harry Maguire (£5.5m), who adds the blood and thunder to their backline but needs a partnership that he didn’t quite get with Victor Lindelof (£5.0m) or Eric Bailly (£5.0m).

IS VARANE A GOAL THREAT?

Alongside his 17 goals for Real Madrid, Varane has scored five times in 79 France appearances. Standing at 6ft 3in tall, he won the highest percentage of aerial duels amongst 2020/21 La Liga defenders (minimum of 1,000 minutes played) and had a 90% pass completion rate.

Nine of his 17 goals were headers from a corner or free-kick, with a further six being close-range tap-ins whilst forward for a set piece. 

With Maguire the usual target for the corners of Luke Shaw (£5.5m) and Bruno Fernandes (£12.0m), Varane adds a second option; although the fact that he hasn’t once scored more than two league goals in a single season should provide some perspective.

Solskjaer has attempted to fix the set-piece deficiencies by recently hiring Eric Ramsay as their first ever specialist coach in this area, mostly focused on defence but there should be benefits at both ends of the field.

A NEW PLAYING STYLE?

The addition of Ramsay could help boost United’s clean sheet potential at the back and, if rumours are to be believed, Varane now gives Solskjaer the confidence to play with a more attacking midfield.

Previously, the back four would be protected by two defensive midfielders – a combination of Scott McTominay (£5.5m), Nemanja Matic (£4.5m), Fred (£5m) and Paul Pogba (£7.5m). Now, he may play just one and proceed with a second creative talent alongside Fernandes. Whether that is Donny van de Beek (£6.0m), a freed Pogba or a new signing such as Saul Niguez remains to be seen.

“With him in, we’ve got different ways of playing of course, and I can see different ways of playing with Raphael. I can’t wait to get him in and hopefully we can get that sorted as soon as.” – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

FINAL THOUGHTS

Varane’s role in FPL may be less of that a target and more of a facilitator, improving the Fantasy prospects of Maguire, Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£5.5m) – all of whom seem to offer more attacking threat – on the clean sheet front.

United began the 2021/22 season by hosting Leeds United, which preceded trips to Southampton and Wolves precede Newcastle United (H), West Ham United (a), Aston Villa (H), Everton (H) and Leicester City (a).

The equivalent eight matches of last season brought no clean sheets and 13 goals conceded but it’s still a mostly favourable run, on paper at least.

Varane missed Gameweek 1 thanks to visa issues, while Shaw, Wan-Bissaka and Maguire have all had disrupted pre-seasons to some extent.

It may take a little time for the United backline to click into gear, then, with last season’s slow start still fresh in the mind.

Thereafter, though, hopes are high for improvements on what we saw in 2021/22.