United are said to be willing to offer a fee for Varane that is “realistic”
Whisper it, but Manchester United *might* finally be getting their house in order as far as transfers go. Jadon Sancho’s move from Borussia Dortmund will (finally) be completed after the Euros, with plenty of rumours suggesting United are inching ever closer to tying up a deal for Raphael Varane.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is said to be keen to bolster his options in central defence, with Varane seen as an ideal partner for Harry Maguire.
The French defender, who was part of his national side’s shock Euro 2020 exit to Switzerland earlier this week, is reportedly set on a move away from Real Madrid after a decade at the Bernabeu.
He still has a year to run on his current deal but, according to the Guardian, may still be valued at around £50m by Florentino Perez. Such a fee could pose problems for United’s hopes of signing him, especially after their £73m outlay for Sancho. The same report claims United would view it as unrealistic for a player entering the final year of their contract – particularly in the pandemic market.
Varane was linked with a move to United when at Lens as a teenager. In the end, United moved for Phil Jones, who has now spent ten years at Old Trafford.
The 28-year-old appears to be United’s main target in central defence, with speculation linking them with moves for Villarreal’s Pau Torres and Sevilla’s Jules Kounde subsiding in recent weeks.
Solskjaer is also believed to be interested in adding a holding midfielder to his squad, with a right-back to offer competition to Aaron Wan-Bissaka also thought to be on his wish list.
While there is still no update on Paul Pogba’s future, with his United deal now entering its final 12 months, Juan Mata has penned an extension to his contract at Old Trafford, taking him through to next summer.
The return of former academy graduate, Tom Heaton, was also confirmed by United on Friday.
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