Manchester United on red alert as Real Madrid centre-back considers future

Manchester United could renew their longstanding interest in Raphael Varane after reports suggested the World Cup winner is considering his future at Real Madrid.The France international moved to the Santiago Bernabeu from Lens in 2011 and has since won four Champions Leagues, two La Liga titles and a Copa del Rey in the Spanish capital.This season has been a frustrating one for both player and club, however, with Madrid set to end a campaign without a domestic or European trophy for the first time since 2010.And according to L’Equipe, the 25-year-old could seek a shock departure in the summer despite the recent return of Zinedine Zidane as manager.United are long-term admirers of Varane, who starred in France’s World Cup triumph in 2018, and could relaunch their attempts to bring him to Old Trafford.Madrid are likely to hold out for a hefty fee for the centre-back, though, with L’Equipe estimating that interested parties would have to pay between £85m and £120m for his services.That would be enough to make Varane the most expensive defender of all time, a tag currently held by Virgil van Dijk following his £75m move to Liverpool last year.LIST8 Premier League players who've genuinely surprised us this season