Atletico Madrid planning formal approach for Manchester United’s Raphael Varane | OneFootball

Manchester United will undergo a major defensive overhaul after a dismal season which saw the Red Devils finish eighth in the Premier League and miss out on European football through their league placing.

The 20-time English league champions ended up conceding 84 goals in all competitions, the most since 1971, and it is clear that changes are required to remedy the situation.

Jonny Evans might not be offered a new deal while both Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof have been linked with exits as the club looks to reduce the overall age of the squad.

One player who is guaranteed to be leaving is Raphael Varane, who took to social media to announce his departure after three years in Manchester.

Varane remains in demand

The Frenchman has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia where Al-Nassr are ready to offer him a whopping wage package, while there is also interest from Turkey and back home.

The former Real Madrid superstar had even offered his services to his former club, who turned down the proposal. Defensa Central have claimed that fierce city rivals Atletico Madrid could now swoop for the 2018 World Cup winner.

The 31-year-old knows the city and language and has excelled in La Liga and Diego Simeone is looking for leaders at the back and Varane fits the bill perfectly.

A “formal offer in the coming weeks” could be in the offing and if the centre-back were to join, Los Blancos would not be pleased even though Florentino Perez turned down his former star twice recently.

“Varane’s contract ends on June 30 and the footballer has already officially and publicly announced his decision to leave United. For this reason, he is on the market, and there are already several teams that are interested in incorporating him.

Atleti want Varane

“Among them would be Atlético de Madrid, who are looking for centre backs for next season. The French defender is a very affordable option, because he would arrive on a free and knows the city and the language very well. However, Varane has not shown that he is too eager to sign for Real Madrid’s eternal rival.

“This interest from Atlético de Madrid has surprised Florentino Pérez, who has already rejected Varane’s return to Real Madrid on two occasions, the last time being a few weeks ago, when this option was presented to him.”

Atleti would give the player the chance to play in a top European league and the chance to compete for the top prizes and keep playing in the Champions League.

As of now, Varane does not have any intention of moving to Real’s eternal rivals. It will be interesting to see whether the scenario changes anytime soon.

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