Most fans would accept the chance to sign a top class player to improve their squad regardless of the circumstances, but it gets even better if that somehow spoils the transfer plans of a rival too.
There’s been some growing talk about Man United moving for Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane this summer, and a report from The Manchester Evening News has indicated that Real are open to letting that happen.
They’re currently in a mountain of debt so they need to sell players to finance any summer moves, and they are desperate to find a way to bring Kylian Mbappe to the Bernabeu.
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Selling Varane to United could fund a major part of that transfer, but you have to think it would also depend on Sergio Ramos signing a new deal as there’s no chance that they get rid of both centre backs in one summer.
Goal have also picked up on this report and they raise an interesting point – Liverpool are believed to be the main contenders for Mbappe’s signature and they are in a healthier financial situation, so in a way it’s possible that Man United signing Varane could stop Mbappe moving to Anfield.
Perhaps that is fanciful thinking and there’s no way that Man United should sign a player just to make things awkward for a rival, but Mbappe would be a genuine game changer for years if he signed for Liverpool so they won’t see it as a bad thing if they inadvertently make sure he heads to Madrid.