Pranav Nair
Chelsea hold the advantage over Manchester United in Raphael Varane pursuit
According to The Express, Manchester United have fallen behind Chelsea in the pursuit of Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane.
The 28-year-old is one of the best defenders in the game and has a little over a year left on his current Madrid deal. He is yet to show any indication that he is keen to extend his stay at the Santiago Bernabeu.
With talks not progressing, Madrid could be forced to act, selling the Frenchman this summer. The English duo, alongside Paris Saint-Germain, are keen to make their move to land him.
Madrid value the player at around £60m. Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is a fan of the player and appears keen to add him to his ever-improving Blues squad.
This means bad news for United, who too are keen on bringing in a new central defender. While there are other players also on our radar, Varane is someone in his prime with vast experience. He has not only played at the top level but has also won the big trophies.
He is someone who can step in from the get-go and amplify our strength at the back. Losing him to Chelsea would be a huge mistake.
All hope not lost?
United came very close to signing Varane back in 2011. The Red Devils were working on the finer details of his contract before Real swooped in for him at the last moment. Varane was a boyhood United fan who grew up idolizing Rio Ferdinand. (h/t Manchester Evening News)
Whether this will be enough to swing the player’s decision in our favour remains to be seen.
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Varane has so far made 357 appearances for Los Blancos. He was also a part of the French team that won the 2018 FIFA World Cup. His big-game experience would add much to a young United side still discovering their feet.
