Earlier on Monday, it was confirmed that the first of possibly several players had left Manchester United in January, with Donny van de Beek sealing a mid-season move to Eintracht Frankfurt.
The midfielder’s wages will mostly be covered by the German club and he could join Frankfurt permanently, with the club holding the option to sign him permanently at the end of the campaign.
Now, there are suggestions that further outgoings could be accelerated as there is news on the future of Raphael Varane, who is halfway into his third season at the club.
Varane has fallen down the pecking order under Erik ten Hag this season and his contract is up at the end of this season, with United holding the option of extending it for an additional 12 months.
According to the Daily Mail, United have now made their decision and have decided not to exercise the clause to tie Varane down to a fourth season.
As per the report, it was stipulated that an extension on Varane’s deal had to be confirmed before January 1 and with that deadline now passed, the Frenchman is free to discuss a pre-deal with European clubs.
Instead, it is reported that United are keen to free up some of the wages of their highest-earning stars, with Varane falling into that category.
It is claimed that despite not taking up the opportunity to extend Varane’s deal, which made him one of the Premier League’s best earners when he joined in 2021, United are still keen on keeping him at the club beyond this summer.
United are instead looking to negotiate a new deal with Varane, hoping to convince the 2018 World Cup winner to come down from his high wages.
