- Raphael Varane will be free to hold talks with foreign clubs over a summer move
- United remain interested in extending his stay and plan to open talks over a deal
- Watch out Liverpool and Arsenal! Man City are ready to do what they always do and hit top gear at this stage of the season – Listen to It’s All Kicking Off
Manchester United have decided against triggering an option to extend Raphael Varane‘s contract by 12 months leaving the defender free to hold talks with foreign clubs over a summer transfer from tomorrow.
The France international’s current contract runs out at the end of the season, but contains a clause giving United the option to automatically extend, which they have declined to take up by the 1 January deadline.
United remain interested in extending Varane’s stay at Old Trafford however, and plan to open talks over a new deal next month.
Mail Sport has been told that United regard the 30-year-old’s current £340,000-a-week wages as hard to justify given the injury problems that have restricted him to seven Premier League starts this season. Triggering the extension would have kept Varane on similarly high wages and the club want to renegotiate fresh terms.
United are also seeking to reduce the wages of their highest-earning players more generally to free up resources for new signings next summer as they battle to comply with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.
Manchester United have decided against triggering an option to extend Raphael Varane’s deal
United are seeking to reduce the wages of their highest-earning players to free up resources
Varane became United’s highest-paid player following the departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and David De Gea having joined the club in a £34million transfer from Real Madrid two-and-a-half years ago.
Varane remains a major part of Erik Ten Hag’s plans and he has started United’s last two matches despite concerns over his fitness, but the club is in a…