Raphael Varane: What I really think of Man United’s appointment of Erik ten Hag
Raphael Varane is looking forward to linking up with new manager Erik ten Hag at Man United this summer
Raphael Varane has admitted that he is “very excited” about the prospect of working with Erik ten Hag at Manchester United next season.
The Dutchman was officially confirmed as the club’s new permanent manager last month as they opted to bring in the Ajax boss as the replacement for interim boss Ralf Rangnick.
It has been a difficult campaign for Manchester United, with the Red Devils having struggled to find consistent form throughout the campaign to leave them off the pace in the race for a top-four finish.
Ten Hag is set to officially take over at Manchester United in the summer, and Red Devils defender Varane says he is looking forward to linking up with the 52-year-old manager.
Asked for his thoughts on Ten Hag’s appointment, Varane said: “I played against them [Ajax] in the Champions League and they played very well. I’m very excited to work with him.
“I’m looking forward to work with him. I think he has good experience and he’s a good person to work in this club.”
He continued: “I think we can improve. I think we have good players and we have to defend together closer.
“I think this season we were a little bit irregular and I think we can improve and to do better next season. It’s not just about the defence but the whole team. I think we can improve, we can defend better.”
Meanwhile, interim boss Rangnick, who will move into a consultancy role at the club in the summer, feels that Manchester United should be looking to buy two “modern” strikers in the summer transfer window as they look to revamp their squad.
Speaking after Manchester United’s morale-boosting 3-0 win over Brentford on Monday night, Rangnick said: “Cristiano [Ronaldo] is not a central striker or does not want to play in that position.
“It’s obvious that the club needs, I would say, at least, two new strikers who just give this team more quality and more options. I wouldn’t even call it wingers. Two strikers and modern strikers, that do not necessarily have to be wingers.
“If you look into international football, there are not that many top teams who still play with two strikers. Most of the international top teams play with either three strikers or with a false nine.”
Manchester United will take on Brighton away from home in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
