Former Manchester United defender Raphael Varane joined Como 1907 on a two-year deal, the Serie A club announced in a statement on Monday.

The 2018 World Cup winner also helped Manchester United win their first major trophies in six years, lifting the 2023 Carabao Cup and then the 2024 FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. He also won three La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues during his time at Real Madrid.

“Raphaël is a special player and his signing is proof of the ambition we have for this club. He has won so much in his career and the experience he has gained in two of the best leagues in the world cannot be underestimated. I can’t wait to start working with him,” Cesc Fàbregas, Como 1907 coach, said.

The 31-year-old, who made 68 appearances at Manchester United during his time from 2021-24, he wanted to try out something different and is excited to join the club. Besides that, there is also the physical preparation for the season to face.

“I am very happy and enthusiastic about this new project, I can’t wait to get started and get to know the team and my teammates,” Varane said.

“At first I was curious to find out what it was all about and then I realised how special and different this project is to all the others I’ve been offered, so I wanted to find out more. The more I got into the project the more interesting it became and that gave me a different perspective on what I wanted to do. Once it became real it went straight to the top of my list and we were able to get it done. I’m really happy. There’s a lot to do and it’s very exciting. I have a lot of experience at the highest level, and now to be able to share that knowledge to help a club build itself to the top is something beautiful.”

Varane will be completely focused on his club duties after announcing his retirement from international football in 2023, after having earned 93 caps and scoring five goals.