Manchester United's Loss in Raphael Varane Has Been Real Madrid's Gain

Jose Mourinho has spoken very little publicly of his time at Real Madrid since returning to Chelsea, opting to erase the negativity that engulfed him during his high-profile fallout with important figures at the Bernabeu. 

In his wake, Carlo Ancelotti's immediate success in the Spanish capital, built upon the Italian's characteristically cool demeanour and preference for diplomacy, has left his predecessor's tenure to be remembered largely for volatility and underwhelming returns. 

One of the less-scrutinised aspects—but one with a long-term significance—of the Portuguese's time with Los Blancos, however, was his capture of Raphael Varane from Lens in 2011, bringing perhaps the finest defensive talent in Europe to a club possessing a rather chequered defensive history. 

Interestingly, Mourinho revealed on Monday, per the Daily Star, that the precocious Frenchman was close to signing with Manchester United prior to his switch to Madrid. 

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"Varane had one foot at Manchester United but Real Madrid are very strong and Rapha came to us," the club's former manager said.

"I was on holiday and in Madrid. Zinedine Zidane arrived with a DVD and I thought 'that player, with two years' work with us, would be fantastic.'"

In a blow for United, Varane has indicated his decision to move to the Bernabeu rather than Old Trafford was due to Sir Alex Ferguson's signing of Phil Jones from Blackburn only days earlier. 

"Manchester United? They had just signed Phil Jones in my position," Varane told L'Equipe, per Sky Sports. "My first reaction when Real wanted to sign me was not, 'Of course I will go'. I only made my decision when I knew that the coach wanted me to play in the first team."

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Losses and gains are everywhere in football, it's the nature of the beast. Transfer activity is merely a sequence of educated guesses and forecasts, ones based upon a set of circumstances that scarcely remain static for months, let alone years. 

But the losses carry more weight and context in periods of discomfort, such as the one being endured at Old Trafford presently. And had he made the move to north-west England and not central Spain, Varane's presence would, amid United's defensive woes, currently mean more than that of Radamel Falcao at this point. 

It is, inherently, all situational.

Of course, when Ferguson opted for Jones, he was establishing what was hoped to be a strong British core at the heart of the defence with Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling, undoubtedly in the expectation that the trio would slowly blossom under the guidance of club stalwarts Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand. 

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But it never quite worked: While Evans and Smalling haven't convinced as world-class centre-backs, Jones has been a victim of his own versatility, shifted all over the park in a mix of defensive and midfield roles that, although a reflection of his talent, have stunted what should have been blistering progress. 

Now, despite the team's undoubted firepower, United, under Louis van Gaal, find themselves scrambling to conjure a title-challenging defence from Jones, Evans, Smalling, Marcos Rojo, Tyler Blackett and Patrick McNair.

Varane, had circumstances been different, might have soothed the anxiety stemming from that situation. 

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As benefactors, it certainly hasn't been lost on Real Madrid that the club is in possession of a truly elite talent. 

Last month, Los Blancos extended the Frenchman's contract for a further three years, tying him to the Spanish capital until 2020. 

"Varane has his future at Real Madrid in his own hands," Ancelotti said this week of the 21-year-old to Radio Cope, per Football Espana. That future the Italian speaks of is likely to see Varane as the constant figure in a defence that will evolve in the coming years.

Pepe, now 31 and approaching the final 18 months of his contract in Madrid, will inevitably make way permanently for his understudy, who'll join Sergio Ramos at the heart of Real's back four. The Spaniard, too, will see his days in the Spanish capital expire while the Frenchman is still in town—should he see out his contract—possibly vacating his starting berth for Nacho, who's also tied to the club until 2020. 

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What's tantalising for Real Madrid—and perhaps sobering for United—is that Varane is already a long way along the path to being considered a complete defender, the finished article.

At just 21. 

Like all others, there'll be hiccups, there'll be injuries and form slumps, but such issues are typically temporary for players of his standard. And given where he already is on the development curve, the sheer amount of time available to Varane to build on that further is possibly unrivalled at his position around Europe. 

Losses and gains are everywhere in football. For two clubs, Varane represents exactly that.