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Former Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre has backed Raphael Varane to bounce back from a disappointing debut campaign with the Red Devils.
Varane joined United from Real Madrid last summer in a deal worth £34 million. He arrived at Old Trafford with a weight of expectations. However, he has been ravaged by injuries, limiting him to just 26 appearances across competitions.
As a result, he has coped up heavy criticism. Nevertheless, Silvestre has backed the 29-year-old to lead the United defence and succeed under new manager Erik ten Hag.
"He has what it takes to be the leader of the United defence. Individually, he is more than capable of stepping up and being one of the top defenders next season under the new manager," Silvestre told Genting Casino.
He continued:
"I think this season has been difficult for him, but he has also missed a lot of games due to injury. Whenever he has had a run of games in the team, we have seen the Varane that played so well for Real Madrid."
The Frenchman is now part of a Manchester United squad that is likely to be massively overhauled this summer. Varane will be expected to shore up a defence that has shipped 51 goals in 34 league games this season.
Manchester United need a top-quality defender to partner Raphael Varane next season
Raphael Varane has struggled at times this season due to the lack of a reliable defensive partner. Harry Maguire has arguably endured one of the worst seasons of his career, while Victor Lindelof has lacked consistency.
Varane thrived at the Santiago Bernabeu alongside Sergio Ramos, widely considered one of the best defenders of his generation.
So United need to sign a top-quality defender to partner the 29-year-old at the heart of their defence next season. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Red Devils have identified Vilarreal defender Pau Torres as one of their top transfer targets this summer.
The 25-year-old has been in incredible form for club and country. He helped Spain reach the Euro 2020 semifinals last summer and has helped Villarreal reach the UEFA Champions League semis this season.
Torres' defensive ability, passing and composure on the ball could make him the ideal partner for Varane.
