Manchester United want to sign Raphael Varane from Real Madrid. That’s an open secret and has long been the case, with Ed Woodward reportedly indicating in 2018 that he was willing to spend £100million on the France international. Fortunately, this summer, any deal is unlikely to cost that much.
Manchester United want a new defender.
While they have Harry Maguire, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knows he needs upgrades on Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly if his side are to get anywhere near winning the Premier League title.
And though United have been linked with Pau Torres, and even Nathan Ake, it’s Varane who is currently their top target for the centre-back position.
It’s certainly easy to see why, with the player helping Real Madrid win four Champions League titles during his 10-year stint at the Bernabeu.
Varane has also sparkled at international level, playing a key role as France won the World Cup in Russia three years ago.
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And Forbes claim earlier this year that, in 2018, Woodward indicated he was willing to break the bank to bring the 28-year-old to Old Trafford.
That’s a fee that would make Varane the costliest signing in the club’s history, dwarfing the £89m they shelled out on Paul Pogba in 2016.
And it would also make Varane the most-expensive defender of all time.
Fortunately for United, however, that may not need to go that high in order to finally land the Real Madrid star.
Varane has just a year left on his current contract at Madrid and, with the club worried about losing him for nothing in 12 months, are prepared to cash in.
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A fee in the region of £50m has been mooted, making the 2018 World Cup winner a bargain in today’s market.
And whether United are successful in snapping up Varane remains to be seen, especially with other transfer targets currently on their radar.
Solskjaer wants to sign Kieran Trippier to compete with Aaron Wan-Bissaka at right-back.
And though Atletico Madrid would likely to keep hold of the England international, the player himself is reportedly keen to return to England.
United are also eager to land Declan Rice from West Ham, though know signing him will be difficult now that David Moyes’ side have European football to offer.
And Jadon Sancho is their top offensive target, although Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele has been linked as a potential alternative.
Solskjaer admitted that United needed freshening up after their Europa League final defeat to Villarreal, saying:
“I’ve been delighted with the effort, the desire, the determination of all of the players, I can’t fault them at all,” Solskjaer said. “We’ve probably done as well as anyone could imagine.
“We are here now, we need to do better, we need to work better, work harder, cleverer. But as I said two or three players to strengthen the starting XI and the squad all together is important for us to go even further.
“Because I’m sure our contenders or challengers will also want to improve and we want to improve as much as we can.”
And Joel Glazer has since responded by insisting they’re committed to bolstering United’s ranks.
“Our goal is to win every competition we compete in, and we will continue to invest in our Academy and in the transfer market to support the manager in an effort to meet the club’s goals,” he said earlier this month.
“As a club we have devoted a lot of time and resources over the last several years updating and further developing our vast global scouting network to adapt to the modern football environment.
“This is a project that should provide a foundation for long-term success in the years to come.
“In addition, as you all know, we have also been focused on growing and developing our women’s team in line with the traditions and values of the club, and we are committed to continuing that process.”
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