Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted that he wishes he had signed Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane while he was still at Lens.
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Varane has featured prominently for Madrid in recent weeks and recently produced a man-of-the-match performance against Barcelona in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final.
The 19-year-old's performances have been rewarded with his first senior call-up for France, and he could well feature for Los Blancos against Manchester United in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Wenger was full of praise for the youngster, but also warned that he will have to cope with increased scrutiny now that he is under the spotlight.
"A quick word on my fellow Frenchman Raphael Varane, the 19-year-old Real Madrid defender who could face United, I'm happy for him because he's carving out a role at one of the world's best clubs, which is remarkable," Wenger said.
"Yet at the same time, when you are in charge of a club like Arsenal, you have to wonder why this player is not playing for us. He was at Lens, and we might well have caught him there.
"It was a risk for Real Madrid to sign him at his age, but when you have such a talent, you can overcome everything.
"He has benefited from suspension to Sergio Ramos and injury to Pepe, but nevertheless Mourinho has chosen him to step in. His next challenge is to manage the increased media exposure on him, especially now he is in the French national side."
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