Manchester City have reportedly entered the race to sign Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane who is also a target for Liverpool and Manchester United.
According to a report from Spanish publication Sport, Real Madrid superstar Raphael Varane is quite the man in demand heading into the summer transfer window. The Frenchman has been courting interest from Liverpool and Manchester United for quite some time and now, Manchester City have also entered the race for his signing.
Varane has been with Real Madrid for a decade now, having joined from French club RC Lens. During his decade-long stint at the Spanish capital club, the 28-year-old has grown into one of the most successful modern-day centre-backs, having won everything there is for the taking with Los Blancos while also lifting the FIFA World Cup in 2018 with France.
However, as he enters the final year of his contract with Real Madrid, Varane has his sights set on a new challenge in his career, leading to speculations over his future at the Santiago Bernabeu. This development has piqued the interest of Premier League bigwigs Liverpool and Manchester United, who are in the market for a defensive reinforcements.
Liverpool were left exposed by the lack of defensive cover in the 2020/21 campaign as the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all succumbed to long-term injuries. The Reds did sign Ben Davies in January, but he is yet to make a single appearance while Ozan Kabak, who was signed on loan, is unlikely to be brought in on a permanent deal.
Liverpool, though, are closing in on the capture of RB Leizpig star Ibrahima Konate. However, the Frenchman himself has had a couple of injury-riddled campaigns. That, coupled with Matip’s track record with injuries mean that Jurgen Klopp & co. could definitely use another centre-back, making Varane a possible target.
As for Manchester United, it is no secret that the 20-time English champions are in the market for a new defender and the reasons for such a move are pretty much self-explanatory. The Red Devils have struggled defensively in the absence of skipper Harry Maguire with Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly not being consistent enough while both have struggled with injuries this term.
With Axel Tuanzebe likely to be loaned out in the summer and Phil Jones not a part of the plans, it becomes imperative that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer brings in a new defender, with Varane among the top targets for Manchester United, along with Villarreal’s Pau Torres. But now, both Liverpool and Manchester United are set to face added competition from Manchester City for Varane’s services.
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The newly-crowned Premier League champions have one of the best defensive units in the league with Ruben Dias, John Stones, Aymeric Laporte, Nathan Ake and Eric Garcia at Pep Guardiola’s disposal. However, Garcia is set to join Barcelona with his contract nearing its expiry while there have been speculations that Ake is considering his future at the club as well, which could open up a space for a new defender.
Varane would, thus, be someone that would be a viable target for Manchester City. Real Madrid, for their part, are hoping to make €65-€70 million for their star defender despite his current contract situation. It now remains to be seen who among Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United come out on top.
