'It didn't suit me' - Raphael Varane explains why he left Manchester United

Raphael Varane has lifted the lid on his exit from Man United at the end of the last season.

Former centre-back Raphael Varane has said he would have liked to have finished his playing career at Manchester United, but has conceded the club's project "didn't suit" him.

The Frenchman, who announced his retirement from professional football last month because of injury, left United at the end of last season following the expiry of his contract. He made 95 appearances for the club following his arrival from Real Madrid in August 2021.

The 31-year-old experienced a testing time on the injury front last season, meaning he was restricted to 32 appearances in all competitions. A muscle injury towards the end of the campaign meant he missed seven of United's last eight Premier League matches.

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He was deemed fit enough to start the FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City at Wembley, meaning he brought the curtain down on his United career with a trophy. Varane joined Italian side Como on a free transfer in July, signing a two-year deal, but has since been forced to hang up his boots.

He has now admitted he was not aligned with United's vision and that he only wanted to play once a week, suggesting he would have been unable to cope with the Reds' fixture congestion.

"At the start of my last season at Manchester United, I was already telling myself that I would have liked to finish there, to extend the adventure a little," Varane said, speaking to L'Equipe. "It didn't happen, and the summer was very eventful.

"I was looking for something special, and that's how I found Como. With United, I finished with a victory in the cup, but I already knew that the club's project didn't suit me.

"Como was a project that stood out, it wasn't exotic, not financial, but humanly it made sense, and it still does, since I'm going to stay with them. I also wanted to play only once a week."

Announcing his retirement last month, Varane confirmed he was staying with Como to focus on a non-playing role. The Italian side are currently 14th in Serie A.