KEY POINTS

  • Eric Bailly is concerned about his future at Old Trafford due to Varane's arrival
  • Solskjaer plans to keep four center-backs as he projects the club to play around 60 games this season
  • Some are expected to be loaned or sold by the end of the transfer window

Manchester United is having a stellar summer transfer window highlighted by the arrival of Jadon Sancho after an extended transfer saga.

The club has been making strides in terms of upgrading the roster as they look to compete for the English Premier League title, a feat that the storied club has not achieved since the 2012-13 season.

However, the club is not yet finished with roster upgrades this summer.

It has been recently reported that the Red Devils have come to terms with Real Madrid in order to purchase world-class French defender Raphael Varane for a fee of £41 million ($57 million).

The move bolsters Manchester United’s backline defense as Varane plays extremely well at right center-back, and their loss to the Queens Park Rangers in a pre-season friendly exposed the need to plug up that specific hole before the season starts.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Varane will just need to clear his medicals before fully joining the team.

However, the arrival of Varane means that someone will have to be displaced on the Manchester United roster.

ESPN reports that Eric Bailly is concerned about his playing time and subsequent future with the club due to the Varane signing.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manchester United manager, currently has seven center-backs on his squad.

With him projecting the club to play close to 60 games, Solskjaer wants to have four established center-backs on his roster.

Bailly had just signed a contract extension with the club that’s good until the 2024 season in April, with playing time being the biggest part of the whole negotiations.

The Ivory Coast native has been limited to just 106 appearances across five seasons with Manchester United as he battled injury and for his spot on the roster.

Varane will slot in perfectly with club captain Harry Maguire as he and Victor Lindelof are major keys to Solskjaer’s plans.

The move pushes Axel Tuanzebe to the side, and it’s expected that he’ll seek a move soon enough with Newcastle United.

Phil Jones has not appeared in a single game since January 2020, and it’s widely believed that he may be sent out on loan alongside 19-year-old prospect Teden Mengi--who is wanted on the loan market as well.

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