Pranav Nair
Manchester United readying a £40m bid for Raphael Varane
According to The Mirror, Manchester United are readying a £40m bid for Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane.
The 28-year-old has been the lynchpin of the Real defence for nearly a decade and has won a number of trophies. His current deal at Real runs until 2022 and he is yet to commit his future to Los Blancos.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has identified Varane as a priority and is keen to see him partner Harry Maguire in defence next season. The player for his part is keen on a new challenge and might find United an interesting proposition.
The 28-year-old has one year left on his contract. United are confident they can take advantage of that by landing him for around £40m.
With Maguire currently out injured, United’s defence was laid bare by Liverpool last night. The Red Devils need a few top signings to challenge next season, one of them being a central defender.
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 dependable player
While Harry Maguire remains United’s first-choice central defender, he lacks a dependable partner alongside him in defence. The likes of Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof have both struggled with form and fitness, while less aid about Phil Jones, the better.
Varane was a fan of United legend Rio Ferdinand growing up. The Englishman was one of the finest defenders to grace the Premier League and how we could have done with him now. (h/t Manchester Evening News)
In Varane, we might just have one of the best. Whether we will eventually land him remains to be seen.
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A pedigreed defender, Varane is in his prime and will be able to produce for United from the get-go. In the Frenchman, we have the chance to sign a genuinely world-class player and should do all we can to make it happen.
