Raphael Varane has underlined Cristiano Ronaldo 's quality, insisting he "always helps the team" despite his current Manchester United absence.
The Portuguese star has not travelled on the club's pre-season tour as he looks to resolve his future. Ronaldo has informed United of his desire to leave, despite only joining less than 12 months ago. The No 7 was the club's leading scorer last term, but still coped plenty of criticism.
Erik ten Hag's United side have impressed during the early weeks of pre-season, seeing off Crystal Palace recently, as the new boss looks to get his message across. Their successful displays have come without Ronaldo but Varane clearly wants his teammate back alongside.
He told the BBC : "Cristiano is a great competitor. He's a legend and he always helps the team, so obviously it's very good to play with him. We know his [Ronaldo] quality. And we know he's very famous. So we know a lot of people will speak about the performance of the team and his performance."
Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes is currently trying to find a buyer but, now 37 and with hefty wage demands, that is proving a tough ask. The likes of Chelsea and Bayern Munich have shut down links as the new season draws ever closer.
United need to show considerable improvement on last season after sliding down from second to sixth in the space of a year. Ronaldo was bought in to bolster their title chances, as well Varane. The centre-half arrived as a four-time Champions League winner but was unable to have the desired effect.
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That said, he has no regrets about making the switch from Spain to England. He said when asked: "No, absolutely not. In football, you have to challenge yourself and try to improve. I wanted to live another experience after 10 years in the same place. The Premier League is absolutely fantastic and Man Utd are a great club. There was no doubt about my decision [to leave Real Madrid ]."
He added on his new manager: "The new manager is very positive. He wants this energy and to press high up the pitch, with more space behind our backs. That is maybe more offensive but it is football we really enjoy, so that is a good start."
United have bolstered their centre-half ranks by adding Lisandro Martinez from Ajax. Ten Hag was keen to bring in a new defender but it means the Argentine, Varane, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof are all fighting for places.
