Real Madrid CF is set to lose yet another valuable piece of their defence after the departure of skipper Sergio Ramos. Following reports of his refusal to sign a contract extension, it has now been reported that Raphael Varane has agreed personal terms with English Premier League side Manchester United.

The Frenchman is reportedly keen on closing a deal to move to Old Trafford after his initial target destination, Paris Saint-Germain, decided to sign Ramos. Previous reports stated that Varane was planning on returning to France and had been eyeing a move to PSG, but the club jumped on the opportunity to sign Ramos after the latter's own extension deal with Real Madrid fell through.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been active during the summer transfer window, and is now planning on signing Varane after successfully snapping up Jadon Sancho and Tom Heaton. The club is eager to rebuild, after failing until now to reclaim their glory from the Sir Alex Ferguson era. According to ABC Sports, personal terms have now been agreed and it will now be left to the club authorities to negotiate the transfer fees.

Varane is expected to receive £10 million a year when he joins United. Meanwhile, Real Madrid have reportedly placed a £48 million price tag on the defender, and would want to cash in on him now instead of letting his contract run down until next summer. United meanwhile, are trying to bring the price down owing to the fact that Los Blancos can potentially lose the player on a free transfer if they do not budge on the valuation now.

Real Madrid wanted to hold on to Varane, especially after losing Ramos. However, the centre-back seems determined to bring his services elsewhere. He has been linked with the Red Devils since way back in 2011, but fellow Frenchman Zinedine Zidane was able to convince him to head to the Spanish capital instead.

The 28-year-old may finally head to United this summer, where he is expected to pair up with Harry Maguire at the back.

Raphael Varane
French defender Raphael Varane OSCAR DEL POZO/AFP
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