Manchester United have reportedly launched a £53million bid to seal the transfer of Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane that could prove successful.

According to Don Balon, Real are considering letting the France international go in a move that would allow him a reunion with his old boss Jose Mourinho.

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This could spark something of a transfer merry-go-round as Don Balon suggest Madrid would then use that money to bring in Barcelona’s Samuel Umtiti, who had also been mentioned as a possible target for United.

While it could be argued that Umtiti currently looks the superior option to his fellow Frenchman, you’d trust Mourinho to get this one right, having worked with the player before.

The Portuguese certainly has his types and it’s little surprise Nemanja Matic has been such a success since he raided his old side Chelsea for him last summer.

Varane showed arguably the best form of his Real Madrid career while Mourinho was in charge, so this could be a deal that benefits both sides perfectly.

The 25-year-old needs to play more often and we need an upgrade at centre-back – another season relying on Chris Smalling and Phil Jones as often as we have done simply isn’t an option.

Varane would surely walk into most top sides in Europe so to have him at United next season would be a major boost to our hopes of catching Manchester City.

For Mourinho’s methods to truly bear fruit, he’ll need players who are really in tune with his management style, and this would be another step closer to building the kind of squad mentality that he wants.