Manchester United are about to complete their second splash signing of the summer, after Jadon Sancho, as they are close to securing the services of Raphael Varane. This is according to multiple sources, including ESPN, Sky Sports, the Manchester Evening News and journalist Fabrizio Romano.
The Real Madrid central defender, who has been strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford for over a month, is set to complete his transfer move once a fee is agreed upon between both sides.
Raphaël Varane to Manchester United, here we go! ? #MUFC
Agreement almost done between Man Utd and Real Madrid, just final details to be completed and then paperworks time. It’s a “matter of hours or days”. Here-we-go. ??
Varane has a total agreement on personal terms too. ?
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 26, 2021
That isn’t expect to be much of an issue, because the general consensus is that this deal could get finalized and announced within days, potentially hours. The fee for Raphael Varane is expected to be in the neighborhood of about €50 million, which is certainly a bargain for a player nicknamed “Champions League Varane” because he’s won the competition so many times.
United are/will be getting a bargain price for a player still in his prime because the Frenchman won’t be re-upping with Madrid, and with only one year left on his current deal the Bernabeu have to take what they can get now, because next summer they would lose him for nothing.
Manchester United are close to a full agreement in principle on personal terms with the representatives of Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane ?
— Sky Sports (@SkySports) July 26, 2021
The 28-year-old impressed with France at the Euro 2020 tournament although Les Bleus exited earlier than expected. He certainly fits the top position and area of need for the Red Devils, who can now pair him with Harry Maguire to form a very formidable partnership in the spine of the defense.
Overall, this is a home run signing all around.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.