Raphael Varane had a very successful spell at Real Madrid. Having joined from RC Lens in 2011, he won 18 major honours during his ten-year spell in the Spanish capital, which included four Champions League titles.
He joined Manchester United in the summer of 2021, and has since won his first trophy in England as the Red Devils defeated Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final earlier this year.
Despite being only 29, Varane has admitted to thinking his retirement from football, and stated to GQ (as per Marca) that he wishes to retire as one of the three clubs he has played for in his professional career.
“There won’t be another team. I will finish my career at Real Madrid, Manchester United or Lens. Real Madrid seems complicated, because they does not usually allow a return. I don’t mean to rush, but the closer you get to 30, the more you think about it.”
Florentino Perez is well known for moving on older players before they reach their retirement years, so bringing someone in to retire is not something that seems very likely. As such, a second spell for Varane at Real Madrid is not really plausible.