Raphael Varane and Casemiro failures may end Manchester United’s era of superstar signings
Raphaël Varane’s unveiling at Old Trafford three years ago had all the hallmarks of a statement signing arriving at Manchester United. Dressed in a suit, he grabbed his No 19 shirt as he walked onto the pitch and saluted all corners of the ground before taking a selfie in the centre circle.
“That was very smart by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer,” said Rio Ferdinand at the time, working for BT Sport. “When you want to get the crowd going you unveil a big star like Varane and you do it right now to get these fans off their seats.”
But that has been the way at United in the last year. High-profile signings to get fans excited, Premier League transfer records smashed, but nothing much to show for it. There will be a “lap of honour” on Wednesday night in the final home game of the season when Varane bids farewell to fans and surely it will be goodbye to the era of those marquee signings.
Centre-back Varane, 31, is out of contract next month and confirmed he will leave as a free agent after three seasons at Old Trafford, having arrived from Real Madrid in a £42.7 million package including add-ons.
It could also be Casemiro’s final game in front of home fans, with Saudi Arabian clubs still giving the ex-Real Madrid midfielder galáctico status even if age looks to have caught up with him in the Premier League. He was 30 when signed for £70 million at the start of the season, another proven winner who could only show his class sporadically at United.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe did not invest in Manchester United to keep things the same and continue to slide down the Premier League table, so there will be inevitable change and their transfer policy will clearly be addressed with Jason Wilcox in as technical director and Dan Ashworth waiting to arrive as sporting director.
The last decade has seen the most wasteful spending seen in the Premier League era, with the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era defined by big signings going to United to regress. Ángel Di María’s time in Manchester is a footnote to his career. The £59.7 million signing went on to win the World Cup after his United career faded away.
United broke the Premier League transfer record for Paul Pogba, who ended up leaving on a free transfer. Romelu Lukaku’s £75 million move from Everton turned sour and turned out to be expensive in more ways than one for United. They had landed the Belgian from under the nose of Chelsea, who charged a little extra “Lukaku Tax” to Nemanja Matic’s asking price when United came for the Serbia international midfielder.
Alexis Sánchez was another “statement” signing as they were competing with Manchester City, who chose to walk away from an expensive deal with the player’s contract running down at Arsenal. The only statements being made were that United were willing to pay for players at whatever cost.
Varane’s arrival came in the summer when United finally landed Jadon Sancho after tracking him for more than a year and negotiating a deal with Borussia Dortmund for £73 million. Ratcliffe and those running United could be forgiven for feeling a little frustrated that their asset is back in Dortmund preparing for a Champions League final rather than playing for United. Cristiano Ronaldo also returned to the club that summer but lasted little more than a year.
Erik ten Hag recently insisted that United will still be able to attract players to the club, even if they fail to qualify for Europe next season. They are United after all. Yet whether the club’s new Ineos co-owners will want to spend top dollar in the market is another matter. Their initial changes around the club suggest they are looking at good value rather than outspending their rivals.
Antony also sits in the top 10 Premier League transfers, another big-name signing who was meant to help United build towards the future. Although of the few stand-out players this season there has been Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, teenagers who graduated through the Academy. It is no surprise that those young players are being ring-fenced as not-for-sale while others can leave.
“Despite the fact we had a difficult season, I’m very positive for the future. The new owners are coming with a clear plan and a great strategy,” Varane said, announcing his departure. “I’ll see you at Old Trafford to say goodbye for the last home game of the season. It’s going to be a very emotional day for me, for sure.”
It may also be the last we see of the United statement signings.
