MANCHESTER UNITED have the opportunity to sign Raphael Varane for well below £100million, according to stunning reports.
The Real Madrid centre-back, 27, is considered one of the top centre-backs in world football.
Manchester United could make a spectacular approach for Raphael Varane according to reportsCredit: Rex Features
But the Manchester Evening News claim Los Blancos would be open to selling the Frenchman.
United tried to sign Varane way back in 2011 under Sir Alex Ferguson but were pipped when Zinedine Zidane – then working behind the scenes at the Bernabeu – intervened.
So as the Lens teenager joined Real Madrid, United bought Phil Jones from Blackburn.
Varane’s name was put forward again after winning the World Cup in 2018 but Jose Mourinho did not think he could get him so called off the pursuit before the Red Devils splashed £85m on Harry Maguire last year.
But they could make a sensational move to try and land him a decade on when the transfer window reopens.
Varane will have 18 months left on his current deal and would plug a gap as both an elite centre-back and strong leader in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.
He did switch agent to join Base Soccer in September – a company United have a good relationship with – and is in the ideal age bracket for a defender.
However, the rumoured interest may just be the work of Varane’s new agent to broker an improved deal with the LaLiga champions.
Here’s who Manchester United have signed since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down
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Not that Varane has done too much to earn it lately.
His nightmare in the Champions League last 16 saw Real crash out to Manchester City.
And his poor form has continued into this season, despite missing just one match so far and playing 90 minutes in the other ten.
Varane has shipped 15 goals, one of which was his comical own goal in the 4-1 thumping against Valencia.
His recent performances led Karim Benzema’s former agent Karim Djaziri to tweet: “Since the Manchester City match, [Varane] has been a shadow of himself.”
To make matters worse, Varane – as well as Real Madrid centre-back partner Sergio Ramos – were both forced off on international duty this week with hamstring injuries.
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2018 World Cup-winner Varane snubbed Old Trafford and chose the Bernabeu where he developed into one of the best centre-backsCredit: AFP or licensors
He is going through a difficult patch at the moment with poor form and scored a comical own goal against ValenciaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Man Utd set to offload four outcasts in January transfer window including Jones and Fosu-Mensah to lower wage bill
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
