Manchester United have reportedly named their asking price for wantaway centre-back Raphael Varane.
Within the space of several months, the former Real Madrid man has gone from being an integral part of Erik ten Hag's team to being forced to compete for minutes as a substitute.
The absence of first-choice partner Lisandro Martinez due to a foot injury and a couple of knocks for the Frenchman himself have not helped Varane's cause, and he finds himself below Jonny Evans, Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire in the pecking order.
Varane has failed to start any of Man United's last four Premier League games - failing to earn a single minute in a 3-0 loss to Manchester City - and he is said to have given Ten Hag his honest thoughts after the derby defeat.
It was alleged that Varane and Ten Hag's relationship has broken down entirely, hence the Dutchman's decision to demote him to a peripheral role, but the Man United boss denied rumours of a rift earlier this week.
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Nevertheless, Varane is believed to be unhappy with his situation at the Theatre of Dreams, where he is under contract until the summer of 2025, and he could seek an exit either in January or at the end of the campaign.
Clubs in Saudi Arabia are expected to throw their hat into the ring, while German champions Bayern Munich are also attentive to the situation, and according to Abendzeitung, the Red Devils have now laid out their financial demands.
With Varane due to enter the final 12 months of his contract next year, Man United are supposedly willing to entertain offers between €20m (£17.4m) and €30m (£26.1m) for the ex-France international.
Bayern would have no problem meeting Man United's asking price, but the report adds that Varane's extortionate wages could hinder their chances of a deal, as he is being paid €17m (£14.8m) a year in Manchester.
The 30-year-old would therefore have to agree to a drastic salary deduction if he wishes to continue in European football with Bayern, although Saudi Pro League clubs backed by the Public Investment Fund could afford to keep him on his current wage.
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Varane established a reputation as one of Europe's leading centre-backs while on the books at Real Madrid, collecting four Champions League titles and a host of domestic accolades, as well as becoming world champion with France in 2018.
The defender arrived at Old Trafford in the summer of 2021 for a fee of €40m (£34.8m), and he has posted two goals and one assist in 75 matches for the Red Devils since, winning the EFL Cup last season.
Varane captained Ten Hag's team to a 3-0 EFL Cup win over Crystal Palace in September, but he has made the first XI in just one of their last six top-flight games and will likely find himself on the bench again when Man United take on Everton on Sunday afternoon.
The Red Devils are expected to dip into the centre-back market in January or the summer ahead of Varane's anticipated departure, with Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite, Nice's Jean-Clair Todibo and Roma's Gianluca Mancini said to be among their top targets.
An experienced striker is also being sought to take the pressure off Rasmus Hojlund, who has five goals in four Champions League games so far this term but has failed to score in his first nine Premier League appearances.
Ben Knapton
