Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane is near to joining Manchester United for an initial fee of around £34m.

Final details are still to be agreed – but Varane, 28, had told Real he had no wish to extend his current contract, which has a year to run.

The deal for Varane is likely to reach £42m with add-ons.

Real have made a ‘solidarity payment’ to Varane’s previous clubs for their part in his development to ensure the transfer goes through.

That payment has reduced the fee United will pay for the player.

The deal is set to follow Jadon Sancho’s move to Old Trafford from Borussia Dortmund for £73m, which was confirmed last Friday.

That signing took United’s net summer spending beyond any of their major European rivals.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made strengthening the centre of his side’s defence a priority once an agreement had been struck for England winger Sancho.

Varane joined Real in 2011 from French club Lens and has a wealth of experience, winning three La Liga titles and four Champions League titles while in Spain.

He won the World Cup with France in 2018, has won 79 caps and played in all four games at Euro 2020 as they reached the last 16.

BBC