Chelsea Transfer News: Jose Mourinho Speaks out on Raphael Varane Rumours

Jose Mourinho has quashed Chelsea fans' hopes of signing Raphael Varane by admitting the Frenchman will remain at Real Madrid.

Mourinho is a known admirer of the young centre-back, whom he signed for Los Blancos during his tenure at the Bernabeu. Even so, he doesn't hold any hopes of bringing Varane to Chelsea. "I like Varane, but everybody knows that he will stay at Real Madrid," Mourinho told Telefoot, reported by Nick Lustig of the Daily Star. 

Not wanting to dwell on the player, Mourinho also commented on France's prospects at the European Championship in 2016, which, it just so happens, will be hosted in the country.

"France has a lot of good players like Varane, [Paul] Pogba, [Karim] Benzema and [Hugo] Lloris," he said, per Lustig. "They can win Euro 2016. I have a lot of respect for Deschamps. In the World Cup, we saw a great French team."

Mourinho previously labelled Varane "the best young central defender in the world," reported by Elliott Bretland of the Daily Mail. He has often been linked with signing the 21-year-old since returning to Chelsea, but he now appears to have conceded defeat in a battle that never truly gained momentum.

Varane has struggled to secure a first-team place since arriving in the Spanish capital, where he is often kept out of the team by Sergio Ramos and Pepe. This season, the developing player has started three La Liga games and one in the Champions League, per WhoScored.com. He is often used to shore up defence in the final minutes or to offer Madrid extra sturdiness when another player has a booking.

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A tall, mature defender, Varane has the ability to be one of the world's top centre-backs. He must remain focused—occasional lapses in concentration have blighted his performances in the past—but he has all the natural tools to be a Los Blancos star. Considering Ramos is 28 and Pepe is 31, it won't be long until he should become a permanent fixture in the team, most likely alongside the former.

Varane is already trusted at international level and showed what he is capable of during France's 2-1 win over Portugal on Saturday. He remained calm against Cristiano Ronaldo, who failed to escape his club team-mate's attention for much of the match. WhoScored.com rated Varane the highest-scoring player of the match.

Football writers Andy Brassell and Jonathan Johnson described Varane's performance:

Didier Deschamps also utilised Varane during the World Cup, during which he played in all five of France's matches. While not always trusted at club level, Varane has shown himself to be more than capable of competing with the best. In a few years' time, when his mental capacity and brawn have developed, he has the potential to be a Goliath.

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Mourinho's praise speaks volumes considering he has worked with the player. This is a manager who has coached some of the best centre-backs of the last decade—think Ramos, Lucio and John Terry—so his comments aren't a meaningless attempt to capture Varane from afar. He knows how pivotal the player is to Madrid's future, and he appears to have given up the fight for his signature before it really began.

Knowing Mourinho, this probably isn't the entire story. He is the type of manager who slowly works toward getting what he wants, but at this stage in his career, Varane's potential transfer appears unlikely. His importance to Madrid is growing, and he'll most likely have the opportunity to finally establish a first-team place in the next year.