Manchester United have confirmed that defender Raphaël Varane will be leaving the club at the end of this season.
The Man United star and World Cup winner has had a largely injury-laden time in Manchester, with both he and the club agreeing that he will depart Old Trafford on a free after his contract expires this summer.
Having turned 31 in April and already retiring from international football last year in an effort to extend his career, the centre-back who won multiple titles with Real Madrid in Spain and four Champions Leagues will likely move somewhere less physically demanding than the English top-flight.
Sharing a heartfelt video message, the Frenchman thanks the supporters for an “amazing few years”, admitting, “I fell in love with the fans and the club” and adding that you can’t fully understand what it means to them until you play for them.
Varane bids a fond farewell after he confirms he will be leaving United this summer.
Going on to insist that Manchester will always be a first home for his kids and that sharing the Carabao Cup final with his teammates and Red and all the travelling fans will always be a “special memory”, it’s evident that he took the club fully into his heart.
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Varane joined United back in 2021 on a deal worth around £41 million, going on to make 93 appearances and helping them lift their major trophy in six years last season.
Even with multiple injury setbacks, he still managed to play 67 games in the Premier League, 58 from the start, and even grabbing a couple of goals to boot.
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Describing him as bringing a “great deal of class and experience”, “unflappable work at the heart of the defence” and “undoubted quality in just three short years”, the club were full of gratitude and well wishes for the rest of his career. You only have to see this clip to see the kind of relationship he had with United:
With just a trio of potential games left to play for United – Wednesday’s last home game against Newcastle, their final league match against Brighton on Sunday and the FA Cup final against Manchester City – all parties will be hoping he can sign off his time wearing Red in style.
Varane has been sidelined with his latest issue (a muscle strain) since early April, but it goes without saying that having arguably their best and most experienced defender fit for a crucial Manchester derby would be a huge boost to the United, who have racked up a laundry list of injuries all over the pitch.
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Rapha signed off by saying that he’s looking forward to saying a formal goodbye to the club tomorrow night, confessing: “It’s going to be a very emotional day for me, for sure”.
Tommy Fury announces huge fight against former World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall
Daisy Jackson
Tommy Fury has announced his next major boxing match – against a rather unlikely opponent.
The Manc boxer and former Love Island star will face Eddie Hall, who once reigned as the World’s Strongest Man and was the first person on the planet to deadlift 500kg.
The match, billed as Beauty vs The Beast (we’ll let you decide who’s who…), will take place at the AO Arena this summer.
Tommy Fury and Eddie Hall will be facing off in Manchester as part of the Misfits Boxing series, a sports promotion company founded by YouTube sensation KSI.
26-year-old Fury – younger brother of heavyweight legend Tyson Fury – remains unbeaten, seeing off all-comers in the crossover boxing world.
As for 38-year-old Eddie Hall (nicknamed The Beast), he retired as a strongman competitor, where he’s previously been crowned the World’s Strongest Man, and has now pivoted into combat sports.
The pair have collaborated recently on several videos online, taking on challenges like a One Punch Knockout and a breakfast eating competition.
But this will be the first time they’ve publicly faced off in the ring.
Misfirst Boxing has once more delivered the biggest match-ups possible in the crossover boxing space, with Fury vs. Hall promising to be a titanic tussle that will captivate fans around the world.
Tommy Fury vs Eddie Hall, Beauty vs The Beast, will take place on Saturday 13 June at the AO Arena in Manchester – you can get tickets HERE.
Corey Blackett-Taylor ruled out injured for the rest of the season
Danny Jones
Bolton Wanderers winger Corey Blackett-Taylor has been ruled out for the rest of the season following injury.
With not that long left in this year’s campaign and the playoff scrap set to ramp up even further in the coming weeks, it’s an unfortunate twist of fate for the Trotters.
Despite still being only a relatively recent signing, having just joined Bolton in the most recent January transfer window, it didn’t take long for him to make a good impression.
Scoring on debut in a 1-0 away win against AFC Wimbledon, the 28-year-old is now set to miss the remainder of the 2025/26 term, letting supporters know the news on Friday, 27 March.
Blackett-Taylor was forced off in the game against Rotherham United after pulling up in the wake of taking a shot, ultimately being subbed in the first half.
It was quickly confirmed to be a thigh injury, and while the specific nature and severity of the damage haven’t been fully detailed, he has now informed fans that his season is over.
Writing on Instagram, he said: “Instantly from arriving at the club, I felt the passion and support from the fans, club, staff and players.
“I have no doubts [about] the club achieving their targets of promotion – I want to say a huge thank you for making me feel so welcomed and comfortable. Unfortunately, my season is concluded due to my injury, but I’ll be here supporting the team to the very end.”
He isn’t the only impactful League One player at a side eyeing up the Championship to have been hampered by setbacks on the physio bench, with rivals Stockport County also confirming an absence at this crucial point in the campaign.
Not ideal for either of the Greater Manchester hopefuls.
Once again, while the recovery period for both of these players has already begun, the exact timelines for their return remain to be seen.
That being said, chances are we’ll see the Derby County loanee back in action before Hills, though we’ll have to wait to find out whether it will be at the Toughsheet Stadium or back with his parent club.
Who do you think is going to clinch that third promotion place at Wembley come this May?
Danny Jones -
14th May 2024 
