After agreeing a deal for Jadon Sancho, Manchester United will now shift their focus on Raphaël Varane and the Real Madrid player is their ‘great goal’ for this summer.
AS on Friday explain the Red Devils made ‘first contact’ with the defender a few months ago to find out his future plans, and will now begin their negotiations with Los Blancos.
The Spanish newspaper states Manchester United are in the ‘final offensive’ for Varane, and the chase has ‘exploded’ after Sancho’s move was agreed.
AS Paul Pogba’s name will be put on the table when talks happen, a move which doesn’t seem likely unless there’s more going on behind the scenes with the midfielder.
It’s claimed the negotiation between the two clubs for Varane ‘promises to be long and there may be surprises’. He has a year left on his contract and hasn’t accepted the La Liga side’s renewal offers so far.
United have plans to strengthen the heart of the defence and the ex-Lens man remains the ‘number one goal’ for this summer, for whom they ‘aspire not to pay more than €45m’.
AS states: ‘Varane himself really anticipated this move by Manchester United when he did not want to answer the renewal offer that Madrid raised him months ago’.
The player, however, doesn’t rule out the option of staying in Madrid, and for now, ‘all possibilities remain open for him’. 
A call from Carlo Ancelotti may convince the 28-year-old to continue at Real Madrid if the club could make a ‘small effort’ in renewing his contract.
Without an extension, the Spanish giants will be open to selling the player ‘as long as the offer that arrives for him is high enough’.
With Manchester United only wanting to pay €45m for Varane, it remains to be seen whether this figure is considered ‘high enough’ by Real Madrid.
