Rio Ferdinand has slammed former club Manchester United and pinpointed four major factors behind Raphael Varane's uninspiring start to life at the club.
Expectations were high when Varane arrived at Old Trafford in a £34million deal from Real Madrid last summer. However, the French centre-half, who was restricted to just 22 Premier League appearances last term, struggled to make much of an impression during his first season in English football.
The 29-year-old was part of a struggling defence that shipped 57 goals last season - the most United have ever conceded in the Premier League era - and has since come in for some harsh criticism. But Ferdinand has leapt to Varane's defence and insisted that the chaotic environment at Manchester United is to blame for the defender's lacklustre start to life at the club.
Speaking about Varane on his Vibe with Five YouTube channel, Ferdinand said: "He went from one team - the honours there tell you it was a functioning team at the top level, all players playing to their maximum consistently - and went into an absolute reverse situation where the team has zero functionality, no confidence, no guidance and no structure of where they're going.
"He went into an alien scenario where he's going 'I have not seen this since youth team football'. To go from that world-class operating and culture and standard on a daily basis to what is at Manchester United is a huge, huge shift.
"He's probably sitting there like a rabbit in the headlights thinking 'wow, what is this?' He hasn't been the player we expected... he would tell you that, he couldn't tell you anything else. He'll be saying 'I've got to up the levels next year. I need help.'"
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Varane will be far from the only United player under pressure to improve this year as Erik ten Hag takes over at the club. The former Ajax chief has been tasked with improving United's fortunes both on and off the pitch and is expected to be ruthless as he remoulds United's beleaguered playing squad this summer.
The Dutchman is yet to make a signing since being confirmed as the club's new manager, but United are seemingly closing in on a £40million deal for Ajax's exciting young winger Antony.
According to The Sun, United have sent a delegation of officials to Amsterdam to wrap up the signing of the 22-year-old Brazilian ace, who plundered 12 goals and 10 assists from the right wing for the Dutch giants under Ten Hag's guidance last year.
