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Paul Pogba instrumental in Varane switch
Summer signing Raphaël Varane has already taken to life well at Manchester United after the Red Devils secured the services of the key French international center-back as the club aim to push rivals Manchester City for Premier League honors.
But Varane rocking up to Old Trafford may not ever have occurred if not for international team mate Paul Pogba getting into his ear.
According to Varane in quotes via SkySports, the former RC Lens academy graduate picked the brain of the mercurial midfield talent over the summer, with his guidance playing a vital role in his decision to come to the Premier League giant;
“Paul spoke to me about the club, about the atmosphere, about the expectations,” says Varane. “Of course, he is a great player. But he also has very good, positive energy. He is a leader for the group. I’ve known him for a very long time so I’m happy to play with him.”
The kind of characters you want around a dressing room 🗣@PaulPogba 🤝 @RaphaelVarane#MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 9, 2021
His long-time Les Bleus team mate levied similar praise for the commanding center-back, particularly about his leadership qualities;
“He’s really good in the changing room, which is very important in football.”
Frenchman reflects on budding defensive partnership with Harry Maguire
As the old saying goes; offense gets the glory, but defense wins championships. There are a number of renditions for that age-old tale about team sports and it certainly holds true in the realm of football. For Manchester United, the acquisition of Varane could be one of the final pieces of the puzzle when the Frenchman has been deployed alongside England international Harry Maguire.
WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 29: Raphael Varane and Harry Maguire look on after the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United at Molineux on August 29, 2021 in Wolverhampton, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
In what could end up as arguably the best defensive tandem in the Premier League, Varane spoke positively about the blossoming partnership alongside the former Hull City center-back;
“I think Harry Maguire is a great player but we have to work hard to feel comfortable on the pitch. It’s the same with every defender in the team. It’s important to feel connected. We have to move together and motivate each other.
Every day, we are learning and improving.”
The Red Devils perennially have one of the better defensive records in the English top flight, but the addition of Varane could place them in an elite category that is often necessary to top the league table come May; a goal that club boss Ole Gunnar Solskjær will undoubtedly hope to achieve as the former Norwegian international aims for his first league title at his former club.
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Premier League table
| # | Team | MP | D | P |
| 1 | Manchester United | 4 | 8 | 10 |
| 2 | Chelsea FC | 4 | 8 | 10 |
| 3 | Liverpool FC | 4 | 8 | 10 |
| 4 | Everton FC | 4 | 6 | 10 |
| 5 | Manchester City | 4 | 10 | 9 |
| 6 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 4 | 2 | 9 |
| 7 | Tottenham Hotspur | 4 | 0 | 9 |
| 8 | West Ham United | 4 | 5 | 8 |
| 9 | Leicester City | 4 | -2 | 6 |
| 10 | Brentford FC | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 11 | Crystal Palace | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| 12 | Aston Villa | 4 | -2 | 4 |
| 13 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 4 | -1 | 3 |
| 14 | Southampton FC | 4 | -2 | 3 |
| 15 | Watford FC | 4 | -4 | 3 |
| 16 | Arsenal FC | 4 | -8 | 3 |
| 17 | Leeds United | 4 | -7 | 2 |
| 18 | Burnley FC | 4 | -5 | 1 |
| 19 | Newcastle United | 4 | -7 | 1 |
| 20 | Norwich City | 4 | -10 | 0 |
| Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 4 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 4 |
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 3 |
| Lukaku, Romelu | Chelsea FC | 3 |
| Gray, Demarai | Everton FC | 3 |
| Calvert-Lewin, Dominic | Everton FC | 3 |
| Greenwood, Mason | Manchester United | 3 |
| Saint-Maximin, Allan | Newcastle United | 2 |
| Benrahma, Said | West Ham United | 2 |
| Ings, Danny | Aston Villa | 2 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City | 2 |
| Fornals, Pablo | West Ham United | 2 |
| Torres, Ferran | Manchester City | 2 |
| Gallagher, Conor | Crystal Palace | 2 |
| Ronaldo, Cristiano | Manchester United | 2 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur | 2 |
| Wilson, Callum | Newcastle United | 2 |
| Mane, Sadio | Liverpool FC | 2 |
| Maupay, Neal | Brighton & Hove Albion | 2 |
| Jota, Diogo | Liverpool FC | 2 |
| Player | Team | Red Cards | Yellow Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 0 | 3 |
| Cooper, Liam | Leeds United | 0 | 3 |
| Etebo, Oghenekaro | Watford FC | 0 | 3 |
| Doucoure, Abdoulaye | Everton FC | 0 | 2 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 0 | 2 |
| Richarlison | Everton FC | 0 | 2 |
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 0 | 2 |
| Duffy, Shane | Brighton & Hove Albion | 0 | 2 |
| Norgaard, Christian | Brentford FC | 0 | 2 |
| Mings, Tyrone | Aston Villa | 0 | 2 |
| Rodri | Manchester City | 0 | 2 |
| Rice, Declan | West Ham United | 0 | 2 |
| Struijk, Pascal | Leeds United | 1 | 1 |
| Tanganga, Japhet | Tottenham Hotspur | 0 | 1 |
| Moreno, Rodrigo | Leeds United | 0 | 2 |
| Schar, Fabian | Newcastle United | 0 | 2 |
| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur | 0 | 2 |
| Stephens, Jack | Southampton FC | 0 | 2 |
| Marcal, Fernando | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0 | 2 |
| Moura, Lucas | Tottenham Hotspur | 0 | 2 |
| Player | Team | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 7 |
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 3 |
| Doucoure, Abdoulaye | Everton FC | 3 |
| Jesus, Gabriel | Manchester City | 3 |
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 2 |
| Saint-Maximin, Allan | Newcastle United | 2 |
| Benrahma, Said | West Ham United | 2 |
| Townsend, Andros | Everton FC | 2 |
| Kovacic, Mateo | Chelsea FC | 2 |
| Bamford, Patrick | Leeds United | 2 |
| James, Reece | Chelsea FC | 2 |
| Gross, Pascal | Brighton & Hove Albion | 2 |
| Pereira, Ricardo | Leicester City | 2 |
| Alexander-Arnold, Trent | Liverpool FC | 2 |
| Ings, Danny | Aston Villa | 1 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City | 1 |
| Fornals, Pablo | West Ham United | 1 |
| Torres, Ferran | Manchester City | 1 |
| Gallagher, Conor | Crystal Palace | 1 |
| Zaha, Wilfried | Crystal Palace | 1 |
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