Manchester United have been given the go-ahead to sign Raphael Varane, reports the Sun.
Real Madrid want to offload the defender, of whom Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho is a keen admirer, as he is reportedly unhappy at the Bernabeu.
Zinedine Zidane has been told Madrid need to sell if they want to buy big players this summer, and as they have some very big targets including French superstar Paul Pogba, they need to start clearing out some of their unwanted players.
Pogba’s compatriot Varane wants to leave because he has been unable to displace Pepe and Sergio Ramos from the starting XI, so if United were to make a move, it would presumably be with the promise of first-team football.
United have already signed Eric Bailly at the back, so a move for Varane would suggest Chris Smalling would drop to the bench, while Daley Blind may be forced to leave Old Trafford altogether.
Varane, who is recovering from a serious knee injury, will be available for around £30million, the same figure United paid for Bailly.
As a lifelong United fan, he will no doubt be keen to link up with Mourinho, but fans may have one concern.
While it’s surely a positive that Mourinho is being so proactive, there is a danger that United will be completely unrecognisable next season if he keeps signing players at such a rate, and for a club that prides itself on consistency, that could be a problem.
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