Real Madrid to consider selling Raphael Varane as contract winds down
By Tom Gott
Real Madrid believe they may have to sell centre-back Raphael Varane this summer amid fears the Frenchman will not extend his contract.
Los Blancos have been working tirelessly on contract renewals for the likes of Luka Modric and Sergio Ramos, and so Varane's contract situation has flown under the radar somewhat. He will have just 12 months left on his deal at the end of the season and is yet to indicate whether he plans on staying or not.
That hesitation has left Real chiefs concerned as Marca note that the general belief is that Varane does not want to extend his stay at the Santiago Bernabeu, with the Frenchman rumoured to be keen to move on after ten years at the club.
Real will try to convince Varane to renew his deal in the coming weeks, but if he chooses not to, he will find himself on the transfer list this summer before he is able to walk away for free in 2022.
As a 27-year-old who was won everything there is to win at both club and international level, there will likely be no shortage of suitors for Varane.
A lot of the early rumours have named Manchester United as potential suitors. The Red Devils tried to sign Varane in 2019 and their interest may still remain, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer keen to find a new partner for Harry Maguire.
It is thought that United would prefer a younger defender, but the chance to sign someone of Varane's pedigree for a cut-price fee may be too good to turn down.
Liverpool, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Bayern Munich are all expected to be in the market for a centre-back this summer, so there are plenty of potential landing spots for Varane. Expect the rumour mill to go wild with this one.
As for Real, they are expected to look for a new centre-back this summer irrespective of what Varane or Ramos choose to do with their futures. Bayern's David Alaba is high on the wish list, but he's by no means the only player in their sights.
Villarreal's Pau Torres and Sevilla duo Jules Kounde and Diego Carlos are three players whom scouts have followed for a long time, but that trio are also believed to be in the sights of some of the aforementioned clubs as well.
It looks like we could have a huge centre-back merry-go-round this summer, and Varane may well find himself at the heart of it.