Barcelona 'offered chance to sign Raphael Varane for £17m'

Manchester United have reportedly offered Barcelona the chance to sign Raphael Varane for €20m (£17m) during the January transfer window.

Varane has entered the final six months of his contract at Old Trafford, meaning that he is free to hold discussions with foreign clubs over a pre-contract, including Barcelona.

However, Red Devils head coach Erik ten Hag said last week that the club were in discussions with the ex-France international over a new deal.

Man United decided against activating a 12-month extension in his existing agreement, allegedly due to the fact that they want to reduce the experienced centre-back's wage packet.

There is believed to be strong Saudi Arabian interest in Varane, while Bayern Munich have also been linked with him, in addition to former club Real Madrid.

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A return to Bernabeu this month is no longer an option, though, with Los Blancos head coach Carlo Ancelotti revealing that the club would not be signing a defender despite David Alaba's long-term knee problem.

According to TEAMtalk, via reports in Spain, Man United's incoming minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe is keen for the club to move Varane on this month.

Barcelona have allegedly been approached, with the Catalan outfit given the chance to sign him for €20m (£17m), with Ratcliffe wanting to remove his salary from the club, which is thought to be around £340,000 a week.

Varane has recently regained his spot in Man United's starting side, with the defender benefitting from Harry Maguire's groin problem.

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Ten Hag will have a big decision to make when it comes to his starting centre-backs for the remainder of the season, though, as Maguire is due to return to action over the next couple of weeks.

Lisandro Martinez is also back in full training, with the Argentina international closing in on a return after recovering from a foot operation, while Victor Lindelof will also soon be available for selection again following surgery of his own.

Varane has featured on 16 occasions for Man United this season, while he has turned out for the club 79 times since his arrival from Real Madrid in the summer of 2021.

The Frenchman had a hugely successful period at Bernabeu between 2011 and 2021, making 360 appearances, winning three La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey and four Champions League titles.

Barcelona are currently well-stocked in the middle of their defence, with Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Jules Kounde and Inigo Martinez the centre-back options for head coach Xavi.