He is a player with future,If He continues like this I see Him Benching Maguire and Martinez soon’: Raphael Varane have a teenage defender who has a great future
Raphael Varane is full of praise for Willy Kambwala with the teenage defender tipped to have a ‘great future’ at Premier League giants Manchester United.
Amid all the excitement surrounding the development of Kobbie Mainoo, Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho – three players who might just have spawned an image which could yet become one of the most iconic in Manchester United’s modern history – do not forget about a 19-year-old centre-half who has also made quite an impression in the first-team of late.
Willy Kambwala certainly held his own on his Red Devils debut, thrown in at the deep end at West Ham and swimming while many of his more experienced team-mates sank during a dismal 2-0 defeat.
And, with Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans and the aforementioned Raphael Varane all facing uncertain futures in the Ineos era, Kambwala could yet become as integral to Man United going forward as Mainoo, Hojlund and Garnacho.
Future looks bright at Manchester United
“He is showing his qualities,” Varane, one of the finest and most successful centre-halves of the 21st century, tells Man United’s website of his 19-year-old protege.
“I think he will play more matches in the future and continue to improve. He is very young, but he is showing his qualities and we trust him.
“He has a great future.”
Kambwala has made just four senior appearances under Erik ten Hag this season. The 6ft 4ins giant is a regular in first-team training sessions these days, however, and could yet be the latest top-level French centre-half to emerge from across the Channel.
Kambwala, who joined United from Sochaux back in 2020, has already captained Les Bleus at youth level.
Ten Hag rates Willy Kambwala highly
“He makes a good impression in training and during games of the Under-21s. So we decided to play him. I think he has shown he has the capabilities,” Ten Hag said after December’s 2-0 West Ham reverse.
“I think his performance was very solid. You can see has a very bright future. Of course, he has to work on himself. But you can see his potential. And we are very pleased, I think, with his performance.’
“As we’ve seen in this game, I think we have we seen many skills for a modern centre-back.”
Man United are expected to spend big on a defender. Jarrad Branthwaite, Goncalo Inacio and Leny Yoro among the targets. Kambwala, however, could yet save the Red Devils a penny or two if he continues to progress at his current rate.
