INEOS prove influence as Man United reconsider negotiations with star player

INEOS are already proving their influence as Manchester United reconsider their previous stance on Raphaël Varane’s future, according to reports.

Raphaël Varane has seemingly dropped in importance at Manchester United in recent months, with Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelöf, and, Jonny Evans all starting ahead of the Frenchman under Erik ten Hag.

Varane has been somewhat inconsistent with his availability this season, having had multiple short spells on the sidelines both through injury and illness, with the club said to be happy to sell the centre-back for the right price.

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As a result of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s 25% acquisition of Manchester United, INEOS have been delegated all sporting control at Old Trafford, with one major change they want to make coming in the form of fixing the bloated contract of current players.

Raphaël Varane is currently earning around £340,000 a week at United, and with his contract currently set to expire in June 2024, as it stands, he will be allowed to negotiate with other clubs from January.

However, in a twist of events, the Daily Mail now report that United are willing to offer Varane an extension on his current deal, but only if it is on a reduced wage.

This both shows that INEOS are already proving their influence at the club as if United are willing to offer Varane a new contract, even if it’s on reduced wages, he is likely no longer on the transfer list.

Reducing his wages also paves the way for INEOS to make the same steps with other ageing players in the squad on big wages, such as Casemiro, as well as other high earners in the future, such as Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw.