Man Utd star subject of Bayern ‘discussions’ as green light given for £17m January transfer
Bayern Munich have reportedly held ‘discussions’ over a January move for Manchester United star Raphael Varane.
The France international has fallen out of favour at United in recent weeks, with manager Erik ten Hag preferring Harry Maguire at the heart of his defence, with Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof now also seemingly above Varane in the pecking order.
The World Cup winner was the subject of interest from Saudi Arabia over the summer, and rejected those advances, but recent reports have claimed that he is now keen on a move away from Old Trafford.
The Saudi links remain but Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenburg now claims that Bayern are also keeping an eye on the 30-year-old’s situation.
Plettenburg wrote on X: ‘Excl. News #Varane: Internally, FC Bayern has considered the 30 y/o. Discussions took place. Internal opinion: interesting but currently unrealistic because of his salary. It’s not a hot topic yet, but he remains under observation in the next weeks.
‘Bayern informed that his departure in winter is possible / #MUFC Price valuation: €20-30m / a loan is not an option at this stage Salary: more than £17m.’
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano is of the understanding that Varane could soon start to “get more playing time” but his situation “could change” if they “receive an important proposal in January”.
“As previously reported, the message on Raphael Varane remains very clear – it’s a tactical decision for him not to start games for Manchester United at the moment,” Romano told Caught Offside.
“Erik ten Hag is very happy with Harry Maguire at the moment, with how he’s playing, with his mentality, and also Jonny Evans has partnered him well.
“Still, with Evans now injured, I’m sure we’ll see Varane getting more playing time. It’s about rotation, though of course if they receive an important proposal in January the situation could change for Varane. At the moment I’m not aware of any negotiation, but if something happens it could be an open situation in January.”
