Transfer News: Varane signs for Como

-

Raphael Varane has a new club

The French defender has joined newly-promoted Serie A side Como.

Varane: 2024 FA Cup final
Varane playing his last game for Manchester United, the 2024 FA Cup final.

The 31-year-old was a free agent after his contract at Manchester United ended in the summer.

He has signed a two-year deal with the Italian club. The 2018 World Cup winner won three La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues at Real Madrid before his three-year spell at Old Trafford.

Varane also played over 90 times for his country before retiring from international football last year.

Como, who are back in Italy's top flight after a 21-year absence, made former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas their head coach after winning promotion.

Click here for more transfer news and stories

Varane's arrival increases the number of Premier League players moving to Italy before the season starts, including former Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina and defender Alberto Moreno.

Fabregas and his former Arsenal teammate, Thierry Henry, are minority shareholders in Como. The club is located in Italy's Lombardy region.

Cesc Fabregas has told the media: "Raphael is a special player and his signing is proof of the ambition we have for this club."

Discover more news and stories from across Italy

Varane also spoke with the media about his new club. He said: "Once the project came along, it went straight to the top of the list, and we managed to close the deal. I’m very happy. There’s a lot to do, and it’s very exciting. I have a lot of experience at the highest level, and now to be able to share that knowledge and help a club build itself up and hopefully reach the top is super exciting."

The fall and rise of Como 1907

In 2003, they were relegated from Serie A. Over the next 15 years, the club faced financial difficulties and ended up in Serie D, the non-professional Italian football top tier. However, in 2017, their fortunes started to improve. 

A new company took over the club. This lead to a rapid rise and are now back in Serie A and will compete against renowned teams like Juventus, Inter Milan, and Napoli in the upcoming season.

Serie A latest news and stories

Location: 22100 Como, Province of Como, Italy

Popular posts from this blog

Sliding Doors Moments: What if Scholes wasn’t offside?

-
Image
It's time to for another sliding doors moment in football  We travel back to 2004. Manchester United face Porto in the last-16 of the Champions League.  Author - Liam C What actually happened? A ontroversial offside call against Paul Scholes became a pivotal moment in European football history. The disallowed goal cost United a place in the quarter-finals, while Porto, managed by the up and coming manager José Mourinho, went on to win the competition and launch Mourinho into the managerial elite. But what if Scholes hadn’t been ruled offside? How might this alternative scenario have changed the landscape of world and European football? Scholes wasn’t offside: United progress Had the linesman not flagged Scholes for offside, Manchester United would have progressed to the next round of the Champions League. Scholes' goal was legitimate, and had it stood, United would have won the tie on aggregate, knocking out Porto and ending their European dreams. With the Red Devils moving
Read more

PL News: Ten Hag sacked by Man United

-
Image
There has been a managerial change at Old Trafford. Manchester United have sacked manager Erik ten Hag due to the club's disappointing start to the season. Author - Olivia T Ten Hag's last match ended in a 2-1 defeat against West Ham , leaving the club in 14th place in the Premier League with only three wins from their first nine matches. The Red Devils are also 21st of 36 teams in the Europa League league stage, having drawn their three opening matches. Club sources from the club have reportedly suggested that this was a difficult decision but a unanimous one among all the key decision makers.  The club exercised a one-year extension in Ten Hag's contract after their FA Cup final win against Manchester City in May . However, just over three months later, he has been dismissed. United currently sit on 11 points after nine games, marking their second-lowest tally in the Premier League at this stage (only slightly better than the 10 points they had in the 2019-20 season)
Read more

Scotland: Kilmarnock stun Rangers with late winner

-
Image
Kilmarnock 1 - 0 Rangers Rangers remain six points behind the Premiership leaders after suffering a late defeat against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. Author - Mark Lee In a lacklustre match, Rangers wasted several opportunities to secure three points. A combination of poor finishing and solid defending from Kilmarnock made it another frustrating afternoon for the Belgian manager. As the game was heading for a draw, David Watson's lob found Marley Watkins, who beat the offside trap and bundled the ball past Jack Butland. The Gers need to regroup quickly ahead of their Europa League match against FCSB on Thursday. Meanwhile, Derek McInnes' team has now moved to seventh place and are just outside the top six on goal difference. A closer look at how Kilmarnock stunned this Rangers side Home form has traditionally been a strength for Kilmarnock , but they had recorded five draws and one defeat in all competitions on their own pitch leading up to this game. ⚽️ Goal of the day: Mar
Read more