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Manchester United’s transfer negotiator, Matt Judge, reportedly told the club’s centre-back targets that the arrival of Raphael Varane from Real Madrid was looking unlikely, days before a deal in principle was announced. Those hoping to sign for the club may now feel disheartened at the sight of a World Cup-winning defender making his way to Manchester.
Raphael Varane looks to have played his final game for Madrid (Image: GETTY)
As it turned out, a bid of £34m plus add-ons was enough to sway the Madrid hierarchy, who will kiss goodbye to Varane after a decade of service.
United owe a huge thanks to the player’s contract situation, the main reason they were able to snatch such an esteemed player for such a reasonable price.
His impending arrival will be bad news for the likes of Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly, who have both tried and failed to establish true solidity alongside Harry Maguire in recent seasons.
The fragility of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s defence after Maguire’s injury towards the end of last season highlighted just how important the Englishman is to United, while the prospect of a world-class defensive partner could catapult them to the next level.
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The likes of Pau Torres and Jules Kounde had both allegedly been tailed by the club as alternative options, although those links have now been swept under the carpet.
United had reportedly kept tabs on Varane as far back as 2011, when Madrid eventually pipped them to a deal with Lens.
More than 300 Los Blancos appearances later, it looks as if his time in the Spanish capital is up.
The move caught fire after Varane returned from his post-Euro 2020 break, in the wake of France's defeat in the round of 16 by Switzerland.
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Kounde has attracted a number of top clubs this summer (Image: GETTY)
Frank discussions with new boss Carlo Ancelotti clearly did not accomplish much in the way of convincing him to stay, and a new challenge seems too tempting to turn down.
With Madrid reportedly willing to cash in on various players to finance a future deal for either Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland, parting ways with Varane has evidently been deemed a necessary evil.
In terms of the deal, the only thing left to be completed is the medical, while the Red Devils are confident enough to make a formal announcement regarding their agreement on Twitter.
The same announcement was recently made about Jadon Sancho, who was snapped in a United shirt just days later. Varane appears to be treading the same path.