Chelsea and Manchester United are on red alert with French defender Raphael Varane considering an exit from Spanish giants Real Madrid due to a lack of consistent first team opportunities according to the Mirror.
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Raphael Varane: Already France’s most important player
The former Lens man is behind Sergio Ramos and Pepe in the Bernabeu pecking order and with the latter set for a new contract, he may be forced to move to get the regular first-team football he desires.
The paper report that Chelsea were willing to pay €40 million (£29.2 million) to reunite the central defender with Jose Mourinho, the manager who brought him to the Bernabeu, while Manchester United will be actively seeking defensive improvements in the close season.
Varane’s Real Madrid future does not look promising, with the player admitting playing for Los Blancos is a “challenge” on a daily basis while he considers his future.
He said, “I have played more in the second half of the season, which has been when the team has had more problems.
“But it’s in the tough moments when you learn more about yourself because each day as a Madrid player is a challenge.
“That has happened to me and I need to set myself lofty goals to become a better player.”
Varane has only started 14 games throughout the entire season for the Spanish side, being used as a bit-part player by former Chelsea and AC Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti.