According to Spanish media outlet Don Balon, Manchester United are plotting an ambitious move to land Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane in January.
What’s the story?
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho is apparently keen on bringing Varane to Old Trafford in January.
The 25-year-old centre-back put in a series of titanic performances at this summer’s World Cup tournament in Russia. The Frenchman was a key figure in Didier Deshamps’ side as Les Bleus went all the way to lift the famous trophy.
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Varane, who first broke into the first team at the Bernabeu during Mourinho’s reign there, looks to have finally come of age and reached his potential – making him now one of the finest centre-backs in world football.
It would certainly be a major coup for the Red Devils to sign Varane in January and could have huge ramifications for the club.
Saving Jose
There is undeniably a negative vibe around Old Trafford at the moment. After what many perceive to have been a disappointing summer’s worth of work in the transfer market, and the recent shock defeat to Brighton, Mourinho finds himself under pressure in the United hot-seat.
Against the Seagulls, the United back line was a calamity. It really looks as though the club could do with injecting some fresh quality into that area of the pitch.
The arrival of Varane would certainly signify the addition of a world class talent to the Red Devils’ defence. However, the Real Madrid man would not come cheap. Given that United hope to get a deal done in January, and the exceptional level of Varane’s current form, it seems certain that Ed Woodward would have to go far above and beyond Transfermarkt’s £72 million valuation in order to seal a deal for the centre-back.
Doing just that though would show the footballing world that United mean business. Varane would undoubtedly improve the club’s defensive contingent, and his arrival and relationship with the current manager could even keep Mourinho in a job.