Real Madrid's Raphael Varane is expected to sign a new deal at the club that will subsequently put to an end the speculation surrounding his future.
The Frenchman has just one year remaining on his current deal at the Santiago Bernabeu, and with contract negotiations said to have reached standstill there was talk that the La Liga giants could cash in on the defender to avoid losing him on a free transfer next summer.
Manchester United are one of the clubs monitoring Varane's situation, with the World Cup winner possibly available for a cut-price fee of as little as £40m.
Recent reports have even suggested Varane had made his mind up with regards to his future in the Spanish captial and that he had no intention of penning a new deal.
However, Marca journalist Jose Felix Diaz (via RM4Arab) now report the exact opposite with Varane expected to renew his contract with Real.
The news comes barely hours after Real Madrid released an official statement confirming the departure of Sergio Ramos after 16 years at the club.
Whether the two are linked it's unclear, though it certainly seems like a big coincidence that Real would be keen to reach an agreement over a new long-term deal with one of their first-choice centre-backs just hours after their other first-choice centre-back's exit was confirmed.
The news will no doubt come as a bitter blow to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who had hoped to bolster his defensive options with the addition of Varane this summer.
The Red Devils have outlined five key areas of their squad that they hope to add to over the course of the transfer market, with a centre-back partner for Harry Maguire one of the main areas of concern.
Should the news of Varane signing a new deal at Real prove to be true, it's highly unlikely that United will continue to pursue the Frenchman and they will have to turn their attentions elsewhere.
This article was originally published on 90min as Raphael Varane to sign new contract at Real Madrid.
Source: www.90min.com