Man United's 'Flop' Defender Opens Up About His Future As Varane Arrival Looms

As Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane’s arrival looms, a Manchester United defender is certain he will be able to prove himself in the upcoming season.

Alex Telles’ move to Manchester United was one of the most talked-about transfers in the October 2020 window. However, he seemingly failed to make his mark in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad and was later tagged as a “flop” signing.

Speaking to Manchester United’s official website ahead of the pre-season friendly against Derby County, Telles, who has had his fair share of transfer rumors linked to his name, revealed that he has the club’s support as he looks forward to a better season.

“I’m really happy to be back here,” Telles said. “It’s a pleasure to be at Manchester United coming into my second season. Last season, we came really close to winning trophies, so we go into this next season with a lot of desire and I really want to show my work and my value here at the club.”

“I’m really looking forward to the [pre-season] game, I’m going into the game with a lot of desire,” he continued. We’ve been working really hard in training today, and this last week, and I believe it’s an opportunity to show my value my quality and my potential here at Manchester United. I know Manchester United Football Club and the fans really believe in me.”

The Brazilian went on to stress that “pre-season is really important” to him and his teammates. For Telles, the key is to maintain “full focus” regardless of what has been going on in and outside the club.

“It’s really important that we focus on our work, psychologically and mentally, and we get in our minds to understand what the coach wants from us,” the defender concluded. “So it’s full focus. ”

Telles only made nine English Premier League appearances in his maiden season at Manchester United. However, he was a regular in European and domestic cup competitions.

It is yet to be known whether Telles will still be able to secure his spot in Solskjaer’s squad as Manchester United appears to be close to signing its top central defender target this summer, Varane, various outlets reported, including Sky Sports.

Solskjaer has yet to comment on Telles’ role for this season, but the Manchester United boss earlier stated that the player never fails every time he plays.

"Alex [Telles] is a very good lad, I've had conversations with him, of course,” Solskjaer told the club’s official website in May. “He knows that when you're at Man United you're challenging against the very best for a place and Luke has had a fantastic season and has kept fit for longer, but Alex, whenever he's played, has done really well."