Manchester United are ready to make an official bid to sign Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane this summer, as reported by The Mirror.

What's the latest news on Raphael Varane?

The Red Devils have been linked with Varane for a number of months, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer expected to prioritise signing a centre-back in the upcoming transfer window.

Now, it has been reported that United are ready to step up their interest in the 28-year-old, as they will offer Real £40m for his services this summer.

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How much do Real value him at?

United's rumoured valuation of the World Cup winner falls a long way short of Real's. The Spanish champions are believed to be seeking £60m in order to let Varane leave, according to a report last month.

Indeed, Transfermarkt seem to agree with Real's price-tag, as they feel that Varane is worth £63m at the moment. It appears that United are set to start off their bidding by sending Real a low-ball offer when the transfer window opens next month.

Will United's approach work?

Perhaps.

United do have some factors in their favour with regards to a potential deal. Firstly, it is understood that Varane is open to leaving Real at the end of the season in search of a fresh challenge.

He also only has one year left on his contract at the club. This means that if Real were to not accept United's offer and keep Varane until 2022, he would leave as a free agent 12 months down the line.

Therefore, it could be in Real's best interests to allow him to depart in the next transfer, which may lead to them accepting a fee that falls below the original price-tag that they put on Varane.

Would Varane fix a big problem for Solskjaer?

Almost certainly.

Solskjaer wants to find a partner for Harry Maguire, and United's recent performances without the England man have demonstrated why. 

Maguire has missed the side's last two matches with an ankle injury. In those games, they have conceded six goals and the defence has looked all at sea. That was particularly the case on Thursday night when Liverpool scored four past them, and it could have been even more.

These displays have shown that United have become overly-reliant on Maguire, and they need to find someone who can take some of the responsibility for the back line off his shoulders.

As a serial Champions League winner and World Cup victor, Varane is a superstar of the modern era and used to the pressure of playing in a big team week after week He is exactly the type of player that Solskjaer needs to bring in to fix United's defensive shortcomings.