As it stands, Raphael Varane will be leaving Manchester United this summer.
The stalwart centre-back’s current deal expires in June and despite holding the option to trigger a one-year extension, United have already decided against it.
This is believed to be because Varane, 30, ranks as one of the club’s highest earners on a reported £340,000 per week, second only to Casemiro, who rakes in a whopping £350,000. Both players, while experienced and valuable to the team, are also two of the more senior members of the squad.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s arrival is set to have widespread implications across all sporting departments at Old Trafford, including lowering the eye-watering wage bill, hence why the Frenchman’s future is currently up in the air.
He joined on a £41 million deal from Real Madrid in 2021 and has since played a pivotal role at the heart of the defence. Last season, in particular, he thrived in a partnership alongside then-new recruit Lisandro Martinez.
As per a report from Todofichajes, the four-time Champions League winner is prepared to take a significant slash on his salary to ensure he can stay at United long-term, ideally seeing out the remainder of his career in M16. By doing so, he would be snubbing interest from Saudi Arabian teams.
More must-reads: