Real Madrid warming up to Manchester United interest in Raphael Varane
According to The Mirror, Real Madrid are slowly warming up to the idea that Manchester United could make a move for Raphael Varane.
The Frenchman has been at Madrid for about ten years now. During that time, he has emerged as one of the best defenders in the world, winning major honours for both club and country.
Varane’s contract at the Santiago Bernabeu expires in 2022 and as things stand, it appears unlikely that he will extend his current deal.

While Zinedine Zidane is glad to keep the defender, Real are worried about losing the player for free next year. The best chance of them being able to demand top dollar will be the upcoming summer.
This is good news for United, who are in the market for a centre-back. In Varane, we will be getting a player who is in the prime of his career at 27 years of age and can go on for many more years.
Rated at £70million, Varane will not come cheap. But given his experience, he will be worth his weight in gold.

The Frenchman is not the only defender on United’s list. Others include Sevilla star Jules Kounde and Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings. While the former is a talented, upcoming player, Mings is a significant downgrade when it comes to the other two.
The Villa to his credit is arguably a better leader than Maguire and has shown that he has what it takes to organize a backline.

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Varane was a player United have kept tabs on for a long time. He even rejected a chance to move to Old Trafford after the Red Devils signed Phil Jones in 2011. (h/t Independent)
A decade on, it remains to be seen if United will rekindle that dream.