Home » Raphael Varane Update: Real Madrid and Manchester United locked in negotiations

Raphael Varane Update: Real Madrid and Manchester United locked in negotiations

by Shane Healy


The reliable Italian journalist, Fabrizio Romano, who specialises in transfer news, has reiterated that Manchester United and Real Madrid are in discussions for the transfer of Raphael Varane.

Romano made the statement on Twitter, where he has 3.6 million followers, amid conflicting reports that Varane had not mentioned any desire as yet, to leave the Spanish capital:

Twitter fans showed their impatience in reply to the tweet.

But Romano asserted that the deal would not be easy or quick to conclude given the stature of the parties involved.

Real Madrid are one of the worst affected clubs financially due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Their high wage bill, new stadium and eagerness to acquire ‘galactico’ talents every year brings huge budgeting requirements. Some of the squad have taken pay-cuts.

They need to recuperate lost revenue.

And according to a report in Elconfidencial.com, the club are looking to push United towards paying around £52 million for the French centre-back, who is reportedly seeking a new challenge in the Premier League.

However, United deem the 28 year-old, who is in the final year of his contract, to be worth closer to the £40 million mark.

El Confidencial suggest that, as well as holding out for as high a fee as possible, if Varane were to be eventually sold, Madrid would not look for a replacement defender.

Again, this points to Madrid’s financial difficulties but also may reinforce the reports that they are eager to raise funds to sign the French forward, Kylian Mbappé from PSG instead.

Incoming manager Carlo Ancelotti has also reportedly accepted a potential sale of Varane and will work with new signing David Alaba and the other defenders at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer didn’t want to talk about potential signings still at other clubs in a recent interview and it looks like Reds supporters will need to be patient as negotiations continue.

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