Guillermo Varela

Guillermo Varela Olivera ([ɡiˈʝeɾmo βaˈɾela oliˈβeɾa]; born 24 March 1993) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Flamengo and the Uruguay national team.

Varela began his career with Peñarol, in his home town of Montevideo, before joining Manchester United in 2013. He made 11 first-team appearances for United and spent time on loan at Real Madrid's reserve team, Real Madrid Castilla, and at Eintracht Frankfurt, before rejoining Peñarol in 2017. Varela won two Uruguayan Primera División titles with Peñarol, before returning to Europe in January 2019 when he signed for Danish club Copenhagen. He made 53 appearances for Copenhagen and helped them win the 2018–19 Danish Superliga. In October 2020, he joined Russian club Dynamo Moscow on a loan deal, which was made permanent in July 2021. He returned to South American football in July 2022, when he joined Flamengo on loan. In July 2023, Varela joined Flamengo on a permanent deal.

Varela was a member of Uruguay's under-20 team that was runners-up in the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He made his senior international debut in November 2017 and has played at two FIFA World Cups, in 2018 and 2022.

Born in Montevideo, Varela started his career with his hometown club Peñarol and made his senior debut on 5 June 2011, in a 1–0 home defeat against Racing Club de Montevideo, on the last matchday of Uruguayan Primera División.

In May 2013, Varela went on a two-week trial with Manchester United after an impressive performance at the 2013 South American Youth Championship. On 7 June, Varela announced he was having a medical, and on 11 June, United completed his signing on a five-year contract, becoming the first signing of new manager David Moyes.

In September 2014, Varela joined Real Madrid reserve side Real Madrid Castilla for a season-long loan. He was, however, included in the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League squad for the first-team and he was given the squad number 28. He made 33 appearances and scored once, when he was set up by Martin Ødegaard in a 4–0 win over Barakaldo on 21 February 2015, at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano in that season's Segunda División B.

After returning to United, Varela was included in their squad for the group stage of the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League. He made his debut on 5 December 2015, as a half-time substitute for Paddy McNair in a goalless Premier League draw against West Ham United at Old Trafford. Three days later, Varela made his first start and Champions League debut in the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3–2 defeat to Wolfsburg. On 25 February 2016, in a Europa League Round of 32 return leg against FC Midtjylland, he assisted on the second of the two goals Marcus Rashford scored on his senior debut. On 19 April, Varela scored an injury-time winner to win Manchester United Under-21s the 2015–16 U21 Premier League title.

Upon the arrival of José Mourinho as United manager in 2016, Varela came on as a substitute in Mourinho's first match in charge of the team, a 2–0 friendly win away to Wigan Athletic. However, he was not included in Mourinho's squad for the club's summer tour of China, and on 23 July, Varela joined German club Eintracht Frankfurt on a season-long loan deal.