Alan Varela’s impressive performances have caught the eyes of quite a few top clubs in England. According to a report from SportsBoom, Manchester United and Manchester City are both keen on the Argentine midfielder. They are set to battle it out for his signature when the transfer window opens.
Varela made a name for himself at Boca Juniors before making the move to Porto in the summer of 2023. He has only gone from strength to strength since and has established himself as a key figure in the team.
He is an integral part of Francesco Farioli’s system. His exceptional defensive abilities, along with his ability to control the tempo of games, have impressed scouts from a number of clubs.
The 24-year-old is considered to be one of the best young defensive midfielders in the world, and English clubs want to secure his services this summer. Porto were well aware of the increasing interest in his services and ended up handing him a new deal last summer.
His contract now runs until 2030, and his release clause has been raised to €75 million. Porto have complete control over his future, and have made it clear that they won’t be handing out any discounts. Any interested club will have to trigger his release clause, as they do not want to lower their profits with Boca Juniors holding a 20% sell-on clause.
Manchester City are one of the biggest clubs that are after him, and they won’t have much trouble in triggering his release clause. Pep Guardiola wants to further strengthen his midfield rotation, and he considers Varela an ideal fit for his setup.
With Rodri’s future uncertain, investing on the 24-year-old South American will certainly make a lot of sense. However, signing him won’t be easy as they will have to battle rivals Manchester United.
With Casemiro leaving the club after the end of the season, the Red Devils want to bring in a new defensive midfielder on a priority basis. The calmness that he has shown under pressure suggests he could form a great partnership with Kobbie Mainoo in the centre of the park.
United scouts have been in Portugal for the majority of the season, and they have watched Varela in action on quite a few occasions. They are optimistic about him being the right fit for their project. With United and City ready to battle it out, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.
