Manchester United could finally secure the signature of Raphael Varane this summer following a ten-year long pursuit. 

The Red Devils first tried to sign Varane as a teenager back in 2011 but Zinedine Zidane, who was working as Real Madrid's sporting director at the time, intervened and secured a €10m deal. 

Varane has gone on to enjoy a glowing career with Los Blancos, establishing himself as one of the most complete defenders in world football. 

According to sources close to the Manchester Evening News, however, his long-standing association with Real Madrid could be coming to an end this summer.

A report published on Tuesday revealed that the La Liga giants are willing to sell Varane to United in the upcoming summer window. 

Real aren't confident that the 27-year-old will pen fresh terms with the club. Varane has been offered the captaincy but he's unhappy with the disparity between the salary offered and the earnings of his best-paid teammates.

With Varane's contract due to expire in June 2022, the Spanish capital outfit would prefer to receive a fee for his signature this summer rather than risk losing him for nothing at the end of next season. 

United, meanwhile, have made the signing of a new central defender a priority. They are aiming to recruit an experienced talent and Varane has that in abundance at both club and international level. 

p1evpevkcs1i9dbtn5ks1bmn1r95l.jpg

The 6ft 3in colossus has won four Champions League trophies and three La Liga titles at the Santiago Bernabeu, while he also played every minute of France's 2018 World Cup triumph.

Ed Woodward tried to sign Varane on the back of his glowing displays in Russia, but he was eventually priced out of a deal with Real demanding a fee well in excess of £100m. 

It seems that the £63m-rated, per Transfermarkt, star will be available at a more modest price three years on, though it remains unclear exactly how much Madrid will demand for his services.