Manchester United stars Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans reportedly face uncertain futures until Sir Jim Ratcliffe completes his minority buy-in at Old Trafford. INEOS are set to take control of the club’s sporting operations, but clarity behind the scenes is yet to be reached as the deal’s deadline has now been extended.
Sir Jim was originally scheduled to complete his £1.2billion investment by Tuesday night’s deadline, but it has instead been pushed back 72 hours to Friday. Evans and Varane, who are both out of contract in the summer, are among those hoping things progress quickly.
According to the Manchester Evening News, United will resist making concrete decisions on the duo’s future until Sir Jim and his INEOS team are in place at Old Trafford.
Manager Erik ten Hag faces a helpless wait in the meantime, with the Dutchman unable to provide assurances to two players he has used frequently this season. Varane completed a £34million move from Real Madrid in 2021, and though his deal expires in June, it includes the option of a further year.
United have shown no intention of triggering that option as yet, but Varane has worked his way into Ten Hag’s starting XI after spending the opening few months of the campaign on the sidelines.
Whether that will convince the Red Devils to tie the Frenchman down for a further 12 months remains to be seen, and INEOS will play a major part in the decision. The same goes for Evans, who was snapped up on a short-term deal last summer.
INEOS are believed to be planning a drastic revamp behind the scenes, including the appointment of a new sporting director. United’s transfer business has been heavily criticised in recent years due to a number of floundering moves.
Evans and Varane aren’t the only players at risk and hoping for a speedy resolution, with Anthony Martial, Tom Heaton and Brandon Williams also out of contract at the end of the season.