Raphael Varane was always destined to play for Manchester United, according to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
France World Cup winner Varane is set to make his United debut at Southampton on Sunday following his £34million move from Real Madrid.
Former United boss Sir Alex Ferguson tried to sign Varane when he join Real from Lille a decade ago, with Solskjaer claiming the 28-year-old always had a desire to play for the Reds.
“It's no secret that we were close or we were in there when he left to join Real Madrid 10 years ago,” said Solskjaer. “Sir Alex was there, speaking to him, and we were close.
Ever since, his performances on the pitch, his demeanour and behaviour off the pitch, tells me that's a Manchester United player.
“We've managed to convince him to have a feeling of Manchester United, and I think that's been in his heart, ever since he went to Real Madrid.
“He had a little bit of a feeling for United and we definitely have had feelings for him for many, many years.
“The Champions League wins he's had, the World Cup win, you know, everything about him is class and as a defender he's quick, strong, good in the air, he can play with both feet.
“So the short answer is, everything about him is what you would want. And he's been humble, he;s been inquisitive, he asks questions.
“He doesn't want to learn by making a mistake in a game, he wants to learn on the training pitch before he goes on the pitch, so everything about him has been impressive.”
