Bayern Munich Ready to Compete with Real Madrid for Raphael Varane
Real Madrid face competition from Bayern Munich to sign Raphael Varane next month, and the German champions are ready to tempt Manchester United with an opening offer, according to reports.
Real Madrid’s Pursuit of Varane
The France international has emerged as a January target for his old club Real Madrid, who he left in the summer of 2021, after the Spanish giants were hit by an injury crisis at the back.
Carlo Ancelotti, the coach of Real Madrid, will be without David Alaba and Eder Militao for the rest of the season, with Antonio Rudiger being the only fit senior centre-back at the moment.
Ancelotti is keen to be reunited with Varane, while the 30-year-old himself is thought to be open to a return to the Bernabeu having fallen dramatically down the pecking order at Old Trafford this season.
Although Varane played in Tuesday’s thrilling come-from-behind 3-2 victory over Aston Villa, he has started just two of United’s last 12 Premier League games since the start of October.
When Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, and Lisandro Martinez are available again, Varane is expected to return to the bench. Additionally, United’s lack of participation in Europe in the second half of the season will reduce his opportunities for game time even further when everyone is fit.
As such, United are thought to be open to cashing in on Varane, particularly after it emerged that his contract only runs until the summer of 2024 – not 2025 as originally announced when he signed.
Bayern Munich’s Interest in Varane
According to Spanish newspaper Sport, Real Madrid is ready to ramp up their pursuit for Varane with Ancelotti adamant that a new centre-back needs to be brought in.
However, Bayern Munich is also interested in Varane to ease their own injury crisis. In addition to having a number of sidelined players, Kim Min-jae and Noussair Mazraoui will be taking part in the Asian Cup and Africa Cup of Nations with South Korea and Morocco respectively, leaving Thomas Tuchel very light on options across January and February.
Bayern Munich is willing to pay around €20 million (£17.3 million) for Varane, which could be enough to tempt United into selling, particularly as they will lose the Frenchman for nothing in six months’ time.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, could struggle to match Bayern’s offer due to La Liga’s strict financial fair play rules, giving Bayern the advantage in the pursuit of Varane.
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