Why Manchester United HAVE to battle for this £20m La Liga star:

Manchester United have been linked to many different players this January, but I’d argue that the key man they need to sign is Raphael Varane. The Real Madrid youngster can already be counted among the best centre-backs in the world. Given that this is exactly the area that The Red Devils need to bolster, a deal strikes me as something of a no-brainer.

Unfortunately, multiple sources are running stories that suggest that snapping up the Frenchman won’t be so easy. Manchester United have plenty of financial firepower, but Real Madrid have no real compelling need to sell.

What’s more, there’s currently a shortage of quality centre-backs in world football. When one pops up, they tend to attract a lot of attention and their price-tag tends to rise quickly.

According to The Express, both Chelsea and Bayern Munich are interested in hijacking a potential Manchester United deal for Raphael Varane. That’s some pretty serious competition. If Jose Mourinho really is keen on the youngster, then Louis Van Gaal could well have a difficult time dragging this one across the line.

Still, the aforementioned source slaps a £20m price-tag on Raphael Varane. That’s certainly well within Manchester United’s financial ball-park. If they can move quickly, sell their vision to the player and make it clear that he’d have more game-time at Old Trafford than he would at the other clubs he’s been linked to, then who knows?

If The Red Devils hold steady, they’ll end up with a man-mountain who has pace, physicality and footballing nous. He’s rarely caught out of position and he makes smart decisions. I’d argue that he’d be an excellent fit for Premier League action.

It’s time for Louis Van Gaal to play smart. This is the man he needs to sign. Let’s hope that he’s capable of beating Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola to the punch.

What’s your take? Is Raphael Varane the solution to Manchester United’s defensive problem?

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