Raphael Varane & Erik ten Hag's relationship falls out following Derby snub

Bayern are interested in signing Raphael Varane

Although Raphael Varane was instrumental in his first season under Erik ten Hag, the Dutchman and he have fallen out this season.

Ten Hag no longer feels the same way about Varane, and their relationship has all but broken down. There is believed to have been an open discussion following Varane’s benching for the Manchester derby last month, according to The Daily Mail.

The Frenchman has only made three replacement appearances since then. According to reports, the 30-year-old feels underappreciated because Jonny Evans was selected before him and Victor Lindelof was selected to play alongside Harry Maguire when Evans sustained an injury two weeks ago against Luton Town.

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Varane’s £340,000 weekly salary is probably too much for Bayern Munich to pay, though the German team has expressed interest in signing him in January for £25 million ($31 million). Although United has discussed seeking substitutes, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s control over Nice may create a conflict of interest if he signs Jean-Clair Todibo from Nice.

The fates of Varane and Casemiro will be crucial decisions for Sir Jim Ratcliffe to make when he takes charge as Manchester United’s sports operations manager.

This is because, in the Manchester derby, the Dutchman first selected Jonny Evans to play defence with Harry Maguire rather than Varane. And then the Frenchman had another conversation with the manager. When they lost 3-0 at Old Trafford, Ten Hag gave tactical justifications for his selection.

Varane was again left out of the starting eleven even after Evans sustained an injury prior to Manchester United’s 1-0 victory over Luton Town. Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof started together, which infuriated the French defender even more.

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