Varane has been out of favour at Old Trafford this season (Picture: Getty)
Real Madrid are considering a move to bring Raphael Varane back to the club with the defender ready to leave Manchester United.
Varane left the Bernabeu to join United in a £34million deal in 2021, forming a formidable partnership at the heart of defence alongside Lisandro Martinez last season.
The former France international has struggled for game time this season, however. He started for the first time in 11 games against Bayern Munich earlier this month and retained his place for the trip to Liverpool four days later where he was one of United’s best players.
He was out of the side once again on Saturday, however, missing the defeat at West Ham United through illness.
In all, the 30-year-old has started only nine games in all competitions this season with Harry Maguire, Johnny Evans, Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw all preferred at the back on different occasions.
Real meanwhile are hoping to sign another centre-half in January with David Alaba and Eder Militao sidelined and according to AS, Carlo Ancelotti is eager for Varane to return to the club.
The report adds Varane would also be keen to return to the Spanish capital with his salary at Old Trafford not thought to be an obstacle.
Ten Hag has preferred other options at the back this season (Picture: Getty)
After Varane joined the club in the summer of 2021, United announced the centre-half had signed a deal keeping him at the club until June 2025 but The Athletic recently reported that deal runs out 12 months earlier than publicised at the end of the current season.
United do have the option to extend that deal by an additional year.
If that option is not taken however, Varane will be free to hold talks with foreign clubs from 1 January with the view of signing a pre-contract agreement.
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With the possibility of the defender leaving on a free transfer at the end of the season, AS report a deal for him to return to Real could cost as little as little as £8.6million.
Varane and Casemiro both face uncertain futures in Manchester with clubs in the Saudi Pro League also showing interest in the pair.
Erik ten Hag would prefer to keep both until the end of the season but will reportedly leave a final decision down to the players themselves.
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