Officials surprised by the Varane agreement
Manchester United officials were left “surprised” at the speed with which they managed to reach an agreement with Real Madrid on the transfer of center-back Raphael Varane, allowing the club to make an official announcement on Tuesday night.
United have confirmed that there is an agreement to sign Varane subject to the formalities in personal terms and a successful medical. The original fee for the 28-year-old is believed to be around 34 million pounds, which could rise to 41 million pounds if conditional supplements are triggered.
For a player with Varane’s reputation, it has been very famous to hit a deal for that price, especially when United’s recruiting department has often been criticized in recent years for not closing deals efficiently and on time.
When it came to negotiating a price for Varane, The Athletic reports that even some of the US officials involved in the deal were “surprised” at how quickly it was completed.
It is said that even a few days before the agreement was reached, the chief negotiator Matt Judge had informed some of the club’s alternative goals that a deal for Varane did not look likely.
United, which will spread the payment on the guaranteed £ 34 million, were apparently prepared to pay more than they originally offered. But Real are apparently so anxious to get the cash in that they accepted it without the expected back and forth, which in the end accelerated the process considerably.
The Old Trafford club decided to pursue a midfielder last summer, but still the opportunity to sign Varane arose when he began to consider his future in Madrid, with his contract in 2022. His representatives later made it clear that he wanted to play in the Premier League and go with United.
Man Utd expected the negotiations to take longer than they did / Denis Doyle / Getty Images
The 28-year-old, who is expected to sign a long-term deal with United until at least 2025, did not want to sign a new deal with Real, who were well aware of the importance of selling him this summer in a way they will fight for with those who Gareth Bale, Marcelo or Isco.
The opportunity was created by the various circumstances encountered and United were well suited to take full advantage and landed a player they first wanted ten years ago.
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