Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is keen on a reunion with Real Madrid centre-back Raphael Varane.
Manchester United have been told to shell out €60 million if they want to sign defender Raphael Varane from Real Madrid in the summer, according to a report from Spanish publication Diario Gol.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is understood to be very keen on a reunion with the French defender who he signed at Madrid from French club Lens, during his days in charge at the Spanish capital club in 2011 and nurtured him in the early years of his career.
Varane has come a long way since then and is widely regarded as one of the most talented young defenders in the game. The 24-year old has made over 210 appearances for Los Galacticos and has won two La Liga titles and three UEFA Champions League trophies along with numerous other honours. An integral part of Zinedine Zidane’s side, the French international has featured 30 times across all competitions in the 2017/18 campaign.
Manchester United have had a few troubles at the back, despite boasting the joint-best defensive record in the Premier League this season. The likes of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones haven’t been able to convince Jose that they can be the leaders he wants in his side, while summer signing Victor Lindelof has had a difficult time in his debut season in England and Eric Bailly has spent most of the season out on the treatment tables.
And, as a result, Mourinho is still keen on adding another central defender in the summer and sees his former protege, Varane, as the missing piece of the puzzle.
Real Madrid too haven’t been all that convincing at the back and have been troubled by defensive issues of their own in the ongoing season. The Galacticos have managed to keep just three clean sheets in 2018, highlighting their fragility at the back. However, it is being reported that Madrid president Florentino Perez is open to the sale of Varane in the summer, provided Manchester United meet their valuation of €60 million.
Interestingly enough, United have also been heavily linked with a summer move for Varane’s international teammate Samuel Umtiti, who plays for Madrid’s arch rivals Barcelona.
Varane is someone that Mourinho knows very well and is aware of all his capabilities and flaws. The Frenchman is still quite young, but has already accomplished a lot in his career with Madrid and has gathered plenty of top-level experience as well.
In a market where someone like a Virgil van Dijk goes for £75 million, without any experience of European football, a fee of €60 million for a three-time Champions League winner who has his best years ahead of him seems a great deal and United should look to get it wrapped up if the opportunity presents itself.
