“It was really a pleasure”: United talisman pens heartfelt note about teammate ahead of his departure

Manchester United ended a rather dismal season on a high by beating fierce rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup finals to lift the trophy for the 13th time in their history.

The victory might yet hand Erik ten Hag a stay of execution with INEOS contemplating keeping him in the role with his severance package also becoming a problem.

His gameplan on Saturday was spot-on as his players hardly allowed any space for Pep Guardiola’s side to play their usual passing game while the attackers executed the counter-attack plans with perfection.

One player who was excellent at Wembley was Raphael Varane, with the summit clash being his final appearance in red with the centre-back set to depart upon the expiration of his deal in June.

Varane’s United spell

It has been a injury-plagued three years in Manchester for the Frenchman who has missed over 50 games for the club but he saved the best for the last.

The World Cup winner remains excellent when it comes to defending inside the box and one of the biggest problems for Ten Hag has been the unavailability of both the former Real Madrid superstar and Lisandro Martinez due to injuries.

"Brother, thank you for these two years we spent together. It was really a pleasure playing at your side, I learned a lot. I wish you all the best, Rapha! You're a great one "

Lisandro Martinez says goodbye on IG to Raphael Varane

What a CB duo this was at Man United! pic.twitter.com/wSp4s1CfeN

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 27, 2024

Last season, the duo were the Dutchman’s go-to defensive partnership and they were excellent, helping the club notch 28 clean sheets in all competitions.

But this term, both hardly got the chance to play together which played a part in the club’s dismal eighth place league finish.

With Varane set to leave, the Argentine posted a tribute on social media for his centre-back partner and said it was a “pleasure” to play alongside the four-time Champions League winner.

Licha’s tribute

“Brother, thank you for these two years we spent together, it was really a pleasure playing alongside you, I learned a lot. I wish you all the best, Rapha! You are a great one,” the 2022 World Cup winner wrote.

Fans will count themselves lucky to have seen the duo play in tandem but a pity it could not last longer. The 31-year-old arrived in Manchester far too late in his career while injuries starting springing up, which did not help.

United had the chance to trigger a one-year extension in Varane’s deal but they chose not to as INEOS look to trim the wage bill and reduce the overall age of the squad.

The defender is likely to head to Saudi Arabia for one last adventure but there is also interest from Turkey and even back home.

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The post Lisandro Martinez pays tribute to defensive partner Raphael Varane before his departure appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.