Real Madrid are reportedly willing to consider selling defensive mainstay Raphael Varane, who is a target for Manchester United.
Real Madrid are open to the sale of central defender Raphael Varane if an offer in the range of €60 million comes along, as per reports from Spanish outlet Don Balon. The Frenchman is a target for Premier League giants Manchester United.
Varane has grown into one of the best young defenders across Europe since joining Real Madrid from Lens in 2011 and has established himself as a mainstay in the all-conquering side under Zinedine Zidane in the past couple of years, winning three UEFA Champions League trophies and two La Liga titles.
The ongoing campaign hasn’t been the 24-year old’s best though, as he has found it hard to maintain consistency in his 38 appearances across all competitions, in which he has come up with two assists.
Zidane considers his compatriot an indispensable part of Los Blancos’ squad moving forward. However, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has different ideas altogether as he believes that this is the best time for the club to sell the player and make maximum profit out of his sale, which would aid them to pursue other Galactico signings in the summer.
Varane has been on Manchester United’s radar for quite a while now, with manager Jose Mourinho understood to be keen on working with the player who he nurtured during his days as the Real Madrid boss. It is understood that the Portuguese tactician isn’t really convinced with the defensive personnel that he currently has at his disposal at Old Trafford.
Chris Smalling may be in a good patch of form currently, but has been too inconsistent and unreliable while Phil Jones’ injury issues continue to plague him. Summer signing Victor Lindelof has also had a difficult campaign, having struggled to get settled into his new surroundings, while Eric Bailly and Marcos Rojo have spent most of the season out on the sidelines.
The Mancunians have been strongly linked with a move for Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti of late, but Varane still remains high on Mourinho’s wishlist ahead of the summer.
This is not the first time Manchester United have been credited with an interest in Varane. The Red Devils were keen on landing him even before he joined Real Madrid back in 2011 and were chasing him last summer as well. No move materialized though, after relationship between the two clubs soured during the negotiations for the failed transfer of Alvaro Morata.
However, with Real Madrid now open to do business for Varane and Manchester United in need of reinforcements at the back, the possibility of a deal happening in the summer transfer window cannot be ruled out.
The French international has a contract with the Merengues that runs till 2022 and a fee in the range of €60 million for a player of his quality and proven pedigree in the current state of the transfer market seems fair enough. Moreover, Varane is still 24 and has his best years of ahead of him, making him an ideal long-term solution at the back for Manchester United.
