Varane Brushes Off Real Madrid Exit Rumours Ahead Of Chelsea Showdown
Raphael Varane has brushed off talks of an impending exit from Real Madrid ahead of Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg against Chelsea.
Varane has been a cornerstone of the Real Madrid defence for the best part of a decade, having joined the club from Lens in the summer of 2011.
The 27-year-old’s current contract expires next summer and he has been linked with a move to Tuesday’s opponents as well as Manchester United.
With talks of an extension in the Spanish capital remaining unclear, speculation has started growing regarding Varane’s long-term future.
The France international however maintains he is solely focused on Real Madrid’s remaining games of the season as Zinedine Zidane’s men remain in the hunt for La Liga and the Champions League.
"My future is clear, I am focused on the end of the season," he said in his pre-match press conference.
"We are in an intense moment and all our focus is on the matches we have ahead.
"The message to the fans is that I am 100 per cent committed to the team. We have challenges that encourage us a lot. I am focused on giving everything on the field."
On the game against Thomas Tuchel’s charges, the four-time Champions League winner added: "I think Chelsea are a very complete team."
"I think they have very distinct and quality players. They have speed going forward, they have the capacity to play and keep you out at the back.
"It's a complete team that can create dangerous moments at any moment of the game, so we have to defend well and be strong.
"The best way is to defend together and not to give them space."
