Manchester United need to cough up £42.8 million for Real Madrid defender

Manchester United have agreed personal terms with Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane, but the deal is far from settled. The two clubs have yet to agree on a transfer fee, and the Premier League side may be forced to cough up more cash than they had initially wanted to spend.

The French defender has so far resisted all efforts by Real Madrid to extend his contract. After a potential move to Paris Saint-Germain fell through, it was reported that a move to the Premier League via Manchester United has been agreed between the player and the club.

However, negotiations between the Red Devils and the La Liga giants have not been smooth-sailing. The Spanish club is not keen on letting Varane leave, and they will only sanction the move for the right amount. The main reason why they may be persuaded to let him leave this summer, is so that the can avoid losing him on a free transfer at the end of the season.

As far as Real Madrid are concerned, if the Frenchman is to depart, it must be for a fee no less than 50 million euros (£42.8 million). It will be a massive return on investment for Real, who paid only 10 million euros a decade ago when they signed Varane from French side Lens.

Manchester United know that with only a year left in the player's contract, they can use that as leverage to force Real Madrid to cash in this summer. Varane also has a major decision to make. He has been refusing to accept an extension, but he is not keen on letting his contract run out either. According to Marca, he is waiting for Los Blancos to match the deal being offered by Manchester United, which is better than the terms of the extension they had previously offered.

Nevertheless, it is believed that Varane will be present for pre-season training with new manager Carlo Ancelotti this week. Until his future is decided, the manager will treat him as a Real Madrid player. However, Ancelotti knows that there is a large possibility that the 28-year-old won't be part of his squad when the season officially opens.