French defender Raphael Varane led the way for Real Madrid
French defender Raphael Varane led the way for Real Madrid AFP / OSCAR DEL POZO

KEY POINTS

  • Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund are still in deep talks for Jadon Sancho
  • The Red Devils have also made a bid for Real Madrid's Raphael Varane
  • This may be the summer that Varane finally wears a Manchester United uniform

For Manchester United, the 2021 summer window could as well be defined as the Jadon Sancho saga.

Manchester United has been chasing the prolific winger for about a year now and has upped their bid to around £75 million ($103.54 million), but Borussia Dortmund is reportedly asking for around £86 million ($118.72 million).

The Red Devils are looking at a busy summer as manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking to fine-tune the roster after ensuring that Edinson Cavani stays at Old Trafford with an extension, reports SkySports News’ James Cooper.

However, a new target has popped up for Manchester United and he may just be the answer to their backline woes.

Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane may be on the move to the English Premier League.

The news comes after Varane, who has one more year on his current contract, and Los Blancos have failed to come to terms on a contract extension thus far.

Should Real Madrid lose the 28-year-old Frenchman this transfer window, it will be a devastating summer for their defensive line as longtime captain Sergio Ramos announced that he will be leaving the club.

Real Madrid is more than ready to sell Varane. As the days go by, it’s starting to be the case.

Manchester United has long been interested in adding Varane to their backline since they tried to sign the Frenchman back in 2011 with his original club of Lens.

Manchester United sees him being a central piece of their defense as they believe that he and Harry Maguire will be able to secure the backline with no worries.

As of this writing, Manchester United has made an attempt to sign Varane to the tune of £50 million ($69 million). However, Real Madrid is standing pat with their asking price of £80 million ($110.4 million).

It came to a point that Manchester United vice-chairman Ed Woodward was so keen on signing Varane after France’s 2018 World Cup win, but his value was above their best offer of £100 million ($138.1 million).

A move to Old Trafford will allow Varane to follow in the footsteps of his boyhood idol Rio Ferdinand.

If a deal falls through, then Manchester United may have to look elsewhere for now and wait until the next window to sign Varane on a free transfer.

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