According to rumors, He has his heart set on a transfer to Manchester United and has turned down the opportunity to join Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
The Red Devils are thought to have made contact with Los Blancos in order to begin talks, and they have been granted permission to speak with the player about a prospective move to Old Trafford.
And, while the Spanish club would prefer to keep the player or provoke a bidding battle to raise the price, United look to be the only choice for the 28-year-old.
Raphael Varane is believed to be United’s top centre-back target this summer and has so far refused to sign a new contract at his current club, Real Madrid.
‘PSG opted to recruit Sergio Ramos instead of Raphael Varane because the Frenchman preferred to join Manchester United,’ according to Spanish journalist Jorge Calabres on his ‘El Bunker’ program (via MUFCMPB).
Calabres, it should be noted, is not a Tier 1 reporter, although he is regarded as relatively credible in Spain.
Rob Blanchette, an English correspondent with a comparable repute, has also tweeted a good update on the Varane issue.
‘#MUFC are presently £12 million short of Varane’s asking price, but PSG’s confirmation of Ramos should assist the United-Madrid discussions go further,’ Blanchette took to Twitter.
‘Real require the funds and do not want to lose the player on a free transfer. Varane wishes to depart. It’s time to get this done.’
According to Fabrizio Romano, the most senior of all reporters, Madrid’s asking price has yet to be divulged to United, which made an inquiry a week ago and is awaiting a response.
#MUFC are currently £12m short of Varane’s price, but PSG’s confirmation of Ramos should help the negotiations between United & Madrid to move forward. Real need the cash and don’t want to lose the player on a free. Varane wants to leave. Time to get this done. pic.twitter.com/KBMSWRH5A9
— Rob Blanchette (@_Rob_B) July 8, 2021
Los Merengues are in a tough situation in this window, which is why they are delaying negotiations with the Frenchman.
They have already lost Varane’s center-back partner, Sergio Ramos, and will be devastated if they lose both. However, they do not want to be held hostage and think that their offer of about €9 million per year (almost £150,000 per week) to the Frenchman is the most they can afford. According to reports, United has made an offer of €12 million (about £200,000 per week).
The other factor complicating their decision is whether there is any chance of wresting Kylian Mbappe away from PSG this summer. They will need to raise funds to do so, and selling Varane would be a must. But if a deal for Mbappe is impossible, then they will want to keep Varane.
United, for their part, will want a deal done swiftly so that they can integrate the 28-year-old into their team during pre-season. A attractive offer with a time restriction may be the ideal option right now to prevent a summer of waiting and seeing, during which other teams may scoop up other targets.