Raphael Varane has revealed the reasons behind his decision to join Real Madrid
Raphael Varane has explained his decision to snub Manchester United and Paris St Germain in favour of Real Madrid.
By Patrick Haond
Last Updated: 03/11/12 2:04pm
The French defender was among the most sought-after talents in Europe during the summer of 2011, having burst onto the scene at Lens.
Top sides from across the continent were keen to add the highly-rated centre-half to their ranks and benefit from his considerable potential.
Manchester United are always in the mix when such players become available, while PSG were in the process of outlining ambitious plans under their Qatari owners.
It was, however, Real who won the race for Varane's signature, and the 19-year-old has been a regular part of their first-team plans this season.
Asked about the reasoning behind his decision to head for Spain, Varane told L'Equipe: "PSG? The project there wasn't clear. The Qataris had only just arrived and it was all very vague.
"Manchester United? They had just signed Phil Jones in my position.
"My first reaction when Real wanted to sign me was not, 'Of course I will go'. I only made my decision when I knew that the coach wanted me to play in the first team."
