The news is also covered by major outlet, Mundo Deportivo, in a new report this morning.
‘It seems, the option of renewal is almost ruled out,’ Mundo says.
‘This is where Manchester United comes in, a club that he has among his priorities and offers €50 million [£43m] in the knowledge that, in due course, the Frenchman will be free.
‘However, Real Madrid are asking for more, about €70m [£60m], to recover the investment of all these years in the centere-back.
‘Los Blancos are studying the market and the names are varied: Koundé and Pau Torres appear as present-future options and others such as Laporte or Koulibaly offer a more present role.’
According to several Spanish sources, Raphael Varane will join Manchester United.
The Red Devils have been connected with the Real Madrid center back all summer, with Los Blancos willing to sell after he turned down a contract extension offer from the club.
Real looks to have given up hope of extending the deal, with United likely to bid in the coming days.
There are two sources of information. First, from Onda Cero’s radio show El Transistor.
?? INFORMA @cjbustillo ?
“VARANE se va a marchar al MANCHESTER UNITED”
“No está por la labor de renovar”
“La agencia que representa al francés ya está en negociaciones con el United”
“La oferta del United llegará en los próximos días”
EN DIRECTO https://t.co/8DYyelauTv pic.twitter.com/YUB4hLf0i1
— El Transistor (@ElTransistorOC) July 14, 2021
While the possibility of Varane renewing his contract at Real Madrid appears to have almost completely vanished, the values mentioned in Mundo’s report are further apart than those reported recently, which indicated that United were willing to offer €45 million (£39m) and that Real’s bottom line is €50 million, leaving the two clubs just £4.3 million apart.
It is probable that the €70 million reflects los Blanco’s first negotiating position, but that there is an awareness that they must sell, with €50 million being their absolute minimum, as stated in the prior article. If Mundo is accurate, United may be poised to enter the bidding with the same €50 million, already reaching Real’s minimum and making a deal almost definitely just a matter of days away.
Varane is said to have requested that the problem be resolved before he returns from vacation so that he does not have to start training at the Bernabeu. That would give the two teams till the end of next week to negotiate a deal.