Pranav Nair
Manchester United ready to swap Paul Pogba for Raphael Varane
According to Spanish publication AS (h/t The Express), Manchester United are ready to offer Paul Pogba in exchange to land Real Madrid star Raphael Varane this summer.
Both players are currently in the final year of their contract. As things stand, neither of them have shown any interest in extending their stay at their respective clubs. With United also keeping tabs on Varane, they might be looking to land two birds with one stone.
With a deal for Jadon Sancho done, focus will now shift focus to landing a new centre-back. Varane is amongst the best in the world at his job and will vastly improve our options alongside skipper Harry Maguire.
Varane for his part is open to a move away from the Bernabeu. He is unsettled at Madrid following the departure of manager Zinedine Zidane and has also been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Real for their part are holding out for a big fee for the World Cup winner. They hope to raise enough funds in order to sign French wonderkid Kylian Mbappe. Curiously, the striker is also in the final year of his contract. United are not ready to pay a high price outright for Varane. A swap deal with Pogba could prove the ideal solution.
United for their part are worried that Pogba could walk away from the club for free for the second time in his career. Having brought him in for a club-record fee in 2016, such an outcome could prove catastrophic.
Appearing on the Spanish television show El Chiringuito (h/t The Express), Pogba sidestepped the question when he was asked about moving to Madrid. With both Luka Modric and Toni Kroos not getting any younger, Los Blancos are in need of a midfield revamp and could eye a move for Pogba.
The exit of Zinedine Zidane could have somewhat reduced the Spanish giants’ interest in the player. Whether they too will look to make the best out of a bad situation remains to be seen.
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Former French international Frank Leboeuf has however warned Varane against moving to United. Whether that provides another twist in the tale remains to be seen.
