Raphael Varane has urged Paul Pogba to commit his future to Manchester United, while he claims his partnership with Harry Maguire will take time to fully establish.
Pogba has less than one year left to run on his current contract and will be able to begin discussions with foreign teams over a free transfer from January – potentially the second time he may leave Old Trafford for nothing.
The Red devils are ready to make Pogba their second highest paid player behind only Cristiano Ronaldo, though he has been stalling on signing a new deal amid links with Real Madrid and PSG.
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But Varane – who swapped Real for United this summer – hopes his compatriot will sign a new deal, while he also revealed how Pogba helped convince him to join the club.
‘It is of course his decision, but of course I hope he stays here for a long time,’ Varane told Norwegian broadcaster TV2. ‘He is a fantastic player, so undoubtedly I hope he stays.’
On his talks with Pogba prior to signing, the central defender continued: ‘He did not have to convince me that I should move here, but I talked to him about the club to find out what it is like to be here day-to-day.
‘It was important for me to hear his opinions and thoughts about the club, the team and their ambitions.’
Varane spent a decade alongside Sergio Ramos at the Bernabeu but now has a new defensive partner in Maguire; the Frenchman is full of praise for the English defender, though feels their understanding will improve more over time.
‘He is a top player. On the field we are still working to get to know each other better,’ Varane explained.
‘We try to talk to each other so that we can understand each other even better, and in that way coordinate our movements and our positioning. This applies not only to me and Harry, but to the entire defence.
‘It is understandable that we need some time for things to become automated, but it will happen because the defence consists of quality players who have qualities that complement each other.
‘I think gradually we will develop a better understanding and a better partnership, which in turn will lead to us being able to perform and compete at our maximum level.’
