Official | Raphaël Varane joins Como as a free agent

Former France international centre-back Raphaël Varane (31) has officially signed for Serie A side Como 1907, the club has announced. The 31-year-old defender left Manchester United last June upon the expiry of the three-year contract he signed with the Premier League side in 2021. The former Lens youth product put pen to paper over a two-year deal with the option to extend for a further year. The Artois side previously considered bringing Varane back to the Bollaert-Delelis stadium before pulling out of the race to sign the 2018 World Cup winner with France.

After breaking through the academy ranks at Lens and establishing himself as one of the best centre-backs of his generation at Real Madrid, Varane will experience another league with Como in the Serie A. “Raphaël is a special player and his signing is proof of the ambition we have for this club. I can’t wait to start working with him”, adds Como head coach Cesc Fabregas, which is also part of the club’s ownership group. “I’m meeting Cesc again, but not as an opponent this time. I’m very happy, I really like his philosophy of play and his passion for football”, Varane said. “I’m coming with a great deal of humility to help the team and the club grow.”

GFFN | Bastien Cheval