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Manchester United are in the market for a new partner for Harry Maguire in the heart of their defence and Real Madrid’s Raphaël Varane has been repeatedly mentioned as one of their targets.

On Friday, the Mirror reported the Red Devils are set to make a £40m (€46m) offer to sign the defender.

AS have relayed the Mirror’s claims and waste no time in stating the figure quoted by the English newspaper is ‘far from’ what is demanded by the La Liga side.

The centre-back is valued at €70m, which is more than €20m than United [as per the Mirror] are planning to offer.

The France international’s signing is a ‘request’ from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and the Spanish outlet points out the Old Trafford club have long been interested in the 28-year-old.

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Varane has a year left on his contract and although Zinedine Zidane’s side want to offer him an extension, he has ‘decided to leave the club’ after this season.

‘What is clear’ at Real Madrid is they will not allow the World Cup winner to leave for free in 2022, meaning the next window will be the Spanish club’s last chance to earn big from his sale.

AS, however, adds the duration left on Varane’s contract could force his employer to ‘accept a slightly lower’ figure than his market value of €70m.