With the 2021 summer transfer window at a close, it looked like Manchester United were finally gearing up to mount a sustained title charge, following what was, on paper, a remarkable summer of business for manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Having led the Red Devils to a second-place finish the year prior, the Norwegian cult hero then set about bolstering his squad with three marquee signings, bringing in Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane to raise the expectation levels among the Old Trafford faithful.
Fast forward to the present day, however, and United's decade-long wait for the Premier League crown continues, with Ronaldo no longer at the club following an acrimonious exit back in November, while Sancho has been cast aside amid his own clash with current boss Erik ten Hag.
As for Varane, the experienced Frenchman has undoubtedly been the most successful of that trio, although that is not saying much, with those in Manchester potentially regretting their capture of a player who has far too regularly been dogged by injury.
How much did Man United pay for Raphael Varane?
As the World Cup winner stepped out onto the Old Trafford turf and hoisted his new United jersey aloft ahead of the opening game of the 2021/22 season against rivals Leeds United, supporters would have been forgiven for getting carried away, with such a statement signing indicating that this was the mighty Manchester United once again.
With four Champions Leagues under his belt following a glittering stint at Real Madrid, the towering centre-back looked to be the "world-class defender and leader" that the Red Devils were in need of, according to journalist Samuel Luckhurst, with both he and Harry Maguire set to be a "title-challenging partnership".
For Solskjaer and co to have landed such a high calibre talent – who was still only 28 at the time – for a fee of around £41m looked to be something of a steal, with that having been roughly half of what was spent on Maguire just two years earlier.
As those at the Theatre of Dreams are no doubt aware, however, it has not been a smooth ride for the club or Varane since then, as the player's plummeting market valuation can attest to.
How much is Raphael Varane worth now?
The major issue regarding the £340k-per-week asset over the last two years or so has been his inability to stay injury-free across an entire season, having notably been restricted to just 22 Premier League appearances during his debut campaign, as United recorded their worst-ever points tally in the competition's history.
Season
Injury
Days
Games missed
23/24
Unkown injury
27
4
22/23
Foot injury
24
7
22/23
Leg injury
23
7
22/23
Sprained ankle
5
1
21/22
Muscular problems
18
3
21/22
Coronavirus
8
1
21/22
Stomach complaints
4
1
21/22
Hamstring injury
50
11
21/22
Groin injury
15
3
via Transfermarkt
As for last term, the 6 foot 3 gem did look "cool and calm and collected" when featuring alongside Lisandro Martinez – according to pundit Adrian Mariappa – although again his involvement was hampered throughout the season, after making only 24 league outings.
Ahead of the start of 2023/24, it was fair to suggest at that stage that Varane had at least performed when he was fit and available, although there have been worrying signs of late amid another injury-disrupted start to the campaign, having particularly disappointed against Galatasaray in midweek.
As per club legend Paul Scholes, the 30-year-old – who was ruled out against Brentford due to a "minor issue" – is beginning to look rather "sluggish", while the treble winner also branded the one-time Lens man and centre-back partner Victor Lindelof as "lazy" and "weak" during that 3-2 defeat.
Such brutal criticism may fit the narrative that Varane is a player on the decline, with the Lille native now believed to be worth just €20m (£17m) – according to CIES Football Observatory – representing a £24m decrease from his initial transfer fee.
It is then no surprise that Ten Hag was believed to be eyeing a new central defender over the summer, with the former Ajax boss likely ruing the fact that the club didn't pull the trigger on any of their leading targets.