Rohan Sengupta
Spanish giants Real Madrid have reportedly told Manchester United that they can sign centre-back Raphael Varane in the summer.
United are considering strengthening their defence after the end of the season despite the likes of Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof arriving at Old Trafford in the last couple of years. While Bailly has been injured most of the time, Lindelof is yet to hit the ground running and Jose Mourinho is eyeing a central defender in the next transfer market.
Mourinho won’t shy away from spending millions on another defender and is interested in signing Varane from Real Madrid.
Varane joined Real from Lens in the summer of 2011 when Mourinho was in charge of the club. And since signing for the Spanish club, the French international has grown into his game and is considered as one of the top defenders across the continent.
The United manager remains a big fan of Varane and knows the player well, having signed him for Real during his time in charge at the Bernabeu.
Spanish news outlet Don Balon claim that Real have told the Red Devils they can sign Varane for £53.5 million in the summer.
Real have endured a torrid time this season in La Liga and have fallen way below in catching leaders and arch-rivals Barcelona. In the topsy-turvy campaign, Varane has made just 19 league starts this season.
The 24-year-old is considered as one of the finest centre-backs in modern-day football and continues to impress the onlookers with his solid displays.
The Frenchman is calm and composed on the ball, and solid when it comes to defending. He is tailor-made to play in the Premier League and having noticed his qualities for Lens, the Portuguese wants to bring the defender to Old Trafford in summer.
United have done very well this season but have defended terribly at times which has cost the club a lot of points. Mourinho remains keen on solidifying his back-line and has identified Varane as the perfect player to help him do so.
Varane would be a fantastic signing for United and at £53.5 million, he would be a snip in an otherwise highly-inflated transfer market. The Frenchman would also be an upgrade on Chris Smalling and Phil Jones.
