Former Manchester United defender, Rio Ferdinand has admitted he doubts if Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane can adapt to the physical nature of the Premier League.
Varane, 28, is very close to completing a switch to United for a fee of around £34m.
The Frenchman has won the World Cup, four Champions League and three LaLiga titles during his career.
Ferdinand feels Varane is the perfect foil for United captain, Harry Maguire, but still has one big question for the centre-back.
Transfer: Raphael Varane’s preferred move revealed
“On paper it looks a very, very good combination.
“But he’s got to understand the English game is very different. You’ve got to go to Burnley and places like that.
“Sometimes it can be up and at ’em, a different style of football in the Premier League to anything he’s played in before.
“Can he deal with it? They’re the questions he’s going to get asked.
“Balls getting wrapped around his ear holes, crosses from different angles that he hasn’t seen on a consistent basis in Spain where they play more on the floor, slower football, slower build up.
Real Madrid president, Perez opens up on Varane leaving for new club
“So he’s going to be asked to defend in a different way and that’s where he’s going to have to show his real class, can he adapt? That”s the real question,” he said on Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE.
