Manchester United are now just two details away from signing Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane, according to reports.
The France international has been linked with a move to Old Trafford for several weeks. And Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is hopeful he’ll sign on the dotted line.
Manchester United are aiming to sign Varane, 10 years after Sir Alex Ferguson first tried to bring him to the club.
The Red Devils believe he can be the ticket to Premier League title glory, while also allowing them to play more on the front foot.
United have been locked in talks with the player’s camp for weeks and, now, Mundo Deportivo say they’re two details away from sealing a deal.
Express Sport revealed yesterday, is personal terms.
While some have suggested they’re already agreed, the publication states that’s not actually the case.
United and Varane’s camp are negotiating a £8million-a-season contract at present, in a move that would see the 28-year-old become one of their highest earners.
And then there’s a fee, too.
United are said to have offered £42m in order to sign Varane but, with Real Madrid looking to raise funds for Kylian Mbappe, they’d prefer £52m instead.
While that’s the current situation, however, it’s also stated that it’s just a ‘matter of time’ before United and Real come to an agreement.
And all signs point to Varane signing on the dotted line and being in Solskjaer’s squad for their Premier League opener against Leeds on August 14.
Since the turn of the millennium, United have signed just one player from Real.
That was Angel Di Maria, who swapped the Bernabeu for Old Trafford after falling out of favour with club president Florentino Perez.
But several have headed in the opposite direction.
David Beckham was allowed to leave United for 2003 after clashing with Sir Alex Ferguson, with Cristiano Ronaldo then joining as his replacement.
Ruud van Nistelrooy followed Beckham to Spain in the summer of 2007, along with Gabriel Heinze.
And Ronaldo himself then jumped ship to La Liga in 2009, joining Real in a world-record £80m deal at the time.
Meanwhile, speaking recently, Eurosport’s Dean Jones claimed that United could ‘see the finish line’ when it comes to landing Varane.
“Manchester United can see the finish line on this deal,” Jones said.
“And that’s the place they’ve dreamed of being in recent weeks.
“They honestly were never sure it would go this far. And I spoke to someone over the weekend and I could really tell that the optimism, and the hope, were really there.
“This week was always going to be a big week because it’s a telling time for Madrid to get involved in this.
“And United, obviously, know the player is keen at this point. They finally believe the player was serious about coming to United.
“And now Real Madrid have been informed that is the case. Obviously, now, it’s all about a fee.
“United do not want to go over £50m so I’m a bit sceptical about this being done in the next few hours because that’s a lot of negotiating to be done.
“But things are definitely heading in the right direction and Varane does expect to become a United player. And that’s a big indication of how far the deal has gone at this point.
“Obviously, United are concerned this won’t happen. They’re not done yet. This is not a done deal.
“But it’s close. It’s getting close.”