RC Lens &#8211; CaughtOffside

Bayern Munich attacker is keen on Arsenal move in a major boost for Mikel Arteta

Man United target is ready to reject them as he favours a move to European giants

Chelsea in talks to offload attacker after deciding he is not in their future plans

West Ham, meanwhile, would also surely do well to make a new striker one of their top priorities due to the over-reliance on the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus to provide their goals last season, even though neither players are natural forwards.

Wahi might also have been a decent option for Chelsea, but his struggles at Lens perhaps also suggest they should now focus on a different calibre of player.

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Forgotten Chelsea star who made 21 appearances for the club agrees two year deal with Ligue 1 side

Charlie Patrick — Sun, 21 Jul 2024 20:46:22 +0000

Chelsea defender Malang Sarr is set to complete a move to French side Lens and will sign a two year contract with the club according to reports.

It’s been a busy summer so far at Stamford Bridge with six new faces arriving at the club, but the Blues are also looking to offload a number of players in the window including Sarr, Romelu Lukaku and Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Sarr arrived at Chelsea on a free transfer in 2020 and signed a five year deal at Stamford Bridge, but has spent two seasons out on loan at Monaco and Porto.

Malang Sarr set to join Lens

The Frenchman has made 21 appearances for the Blues and and has won the Club World Cup during his time in west London.

Sarr was completely frozen out at Chelsea last season under Mauricio Pochettino and was often seen training with the club’s youth sides, but it appears an exit is drawing nearer.

Sarr is set for a return to France with Lens.

Foot Mercato report a full agreement has been reached between the 25-year-old and Lens on a two year contract, with a medical expected in the next 48 hours.

Sarr was close to joining French side Le Havre in the January window but that move collapsed, and he has posted regular videos on social media this summer of him training hard ahead of the new campaign.

The report adds that Lens see the defender as a “valuable reinforcement” for their defence and Sarr will no doubt be delighted to get back to playing regular football.

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Sarr has experience of playing in France have played for both Nice and Monaco making 119 and 17 appearances respectively.

Chelsea have already sold Ian Maatsen and Omari Hutchison to Aston Villa and Ipswich respectively, and Sarr looks like he will be the next departure, although there’s no mention of a transfer fee for the defender who only has a year left on his deal.

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Exclusive: Chelsea have not given up on €130m target but continue to search for alternatives

Darren Looney — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 14:19:49 +0000

Chelsea have not given up on Napoli striker Victor Osimhen despite Paris Saint-Germain’s pursuit of the 25-year-old ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

The West London club have been long-term admirers of the Nigeria star but their interest went quiet over recent weeks due to Napoli’s reluctance to sell below his €130m release clause.

Osimhen is expected to leave the Serie A club during the current transfer window and PSG are the main club pushing for his arrival. According to GOAL’s Marc Mechenoua, the Ligue 1 champions are in talks with Napoli over the striker as they try to reach a compromise on the player’s transfer fee.

Should they find a way to get the €130m fee decreased, Chelsea could step in and try and hijack the deal for the striker, as sources have told CaughtOffside that the Blues have not given up on the 25-year-old and are still interested in the Nigerian talent.

The Premier League club are aware that PSG are ahead of them in the race but the London club still believe they can get a deal done.

This is why Chelsea have yet to bid for any of their alternative targets.

The Blues will use the sales of Romelu Lukaku and Armando Broja to fund a move for Osimhen, with both forwards expected to depart Stamford Bridge before the new season gets underway.

Chelsea have not given up on Napoli’s Victor Osimhen

Chelsea have two alternative targets to Victor Osimhen

Should Chelsea fail to win the race for Osimhen, the Premier League outfit also have their eyes on Borussia Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi and Hoffenheim’s Maximilian Beier.

Dortmund have placed a price tag of around €40m on the German star, while Hoffenheim could demand around €35m/€40m for their 21-year-old forward.

Aston Villa are also monitoring Beier’s situation as Unai Emery is a big admirer of the Hoffenheim star. The Birmingham club have already held talks with the Bundesliga club over a move for the player, however, no official proposal has been submitted.

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Sources have told CaughtOffside that Chelsea also have information about the conditions of a deal for RC Lens’ Elye Wahi, should they miss out on Osimhen. The 21-year-old is a player that has caught the eye of the Blues and it is a talent they could move for at a later time.

The main target remains Osimhen, but a deal for the Nigerian striker will be difficult for the Premier League club to pull off.

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Ligue 1 side interested in ending 25-year-old’s torrid time at Chelsea

Darren Looney — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 15:10:24 +0000

Ligue 1 club RC Lens are interested in signing Malang Sarr from Chelsea this summer as the French club look to end the defender’s torrid time at Stamford Bridge.

The 25-year-old joined the London club in 2020 as part of a deal with Nice but was immediately sent on loan to FC Porto.

The centre-back was given the chance to prove himself during the 2021/22 campaign, which was his best season with the Premier League club, as he went on to feature in 21 games for Chelsea. However, Sarr failed to impress and was loaned out to Monaco for the following campaign.

Last season was a disaster for the 25-year-old as he played no competitive matches for Chelsea and spent the entire campaign training with the Blues’ Under-21 side.

The French star has a contract at Stamford Bridge until 2025 and if the West London outfit want to receive a fee for the player, they will have to sell him over the coming weeks.

Luckily for the Premier League club, there is interest in Sarr from France as RC Lens eye a move for the centre-back.

RC Lens are interested in Chelsea’s Malang Sarr

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RC Lens considering summer move for Chelsea’s Malang Sarr

Ligue 1 outfit RC Lens have concrete interest in Sarr with initial talks having already taken place, reports Fabrizio Romano.

Chelsea are open to letting the defender leave but a move to Lens depends on the player and what he wants for his career. The 25-year-old has a big decision to make as this next transfer could make or break his career.

A move to Lens would be good for both parties as Les Sang et Or are a competitive club in France and the Ligue 1 side would be getting a player with experience in the league.

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Outgoing Manchester United star admits ‘everything is possible’ when asked about return to homeland

CJ — Mon, 27 May 2024 11:33:04 +0000

Raphael Varane has said ‘everything is possible’ after being asked about a return to France following his Manchester United departure.

The centre-back played his final game for the Red Devils in their memorable 2-1 FA Cup final win over fierce rivals Manchester City on Saturday, ending a United career spanning three seasons, 95 appearances and two major trophies.

The former Real Madrid defender confirmed earlier in May that he would not be renewing his contract at Old Trafford, with the 31-year-old now searching for a new challenge as a free agent.

Varane hints at possible Ligue 1 return

One club linked with a possible swoop for Varane is RC Lens, the place where the 93-time international began his career back in 2010.

Varane played 24 senior matches for Lens during a breakthrough 2010/11 campaign before joining Real Madrid, where he would go on to play 360 times, lifting 18 major honours — including four Champions League titles.

Following United’s FA Cup final win at Wembley at the weekend, Varane was quizzed about his future, with the defender admitting ‘everything is possible’ when asked specifically about a return to France.

“I don’t know [where I will go]. I’ll take time to think. I just wanted to come back in time for the final,” Varane told beIN (via Get Football News France).

“A return to France? Everything is possible. I’m at the end of my contract. It’s the first time that has happened in my career so I’ll take the time to really think.”

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Transfer news: Manu Kone to Arsenal, Barcelona exits, Bayern Munich duo uncertainty, & more

Fabrizio Romano — Sun, 24 Mar 2024 18:40:00 +0000

This article was originally published on Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Fabrizio Romano’s exclusive transfer news via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io

Manu Kone to Arsenal links – what’s the truth?

We know Arsenal have been linked with some big names in midfield in recent times, and it could be one to watch for the summer. I’ve mentioned before that Douglas Luiz is a player they really like, while they’re also well informed on Amadou Onana. The latest name being mentioned in the press is Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Manu Kone.

While the other players mentioned have been appreciated by Arsenal for some time, I’m not aware of anything concrete with Kone for now. For sure, Kone could be an interesting one to follow in the summer in general as he was on the list of PSG and Liverpool one year ago, but I’m not sure it’s a name on Arsenal’s list right now.

Bayern Munich exits won’t be decided until new manager is in place

There has been some speculation about potential big names leaving Bayern that I wanted to address here.

Firstly, there’s been talk of Dayot Upamecano considering his future. However, it’s nothing concrete as far as I understand. I’m told for Bayern decisions the crucial step will be the new manager, you always plan these kinds of things with the coach so step by step. Nothing is serious in terms of talks for Upamecano now.

Kim Min-jae is another name supposedly facing an uncertain future, but I’m told the same as with Upamecano. These things are always decided with manager, Thomas Tuchel’s replacement will be key. But Bayern remain very happy with Kim and his commitment.

We’ve seen Matthijs de Ligt, Kim, Upamecano, all the defenders linked with an exit, but nothing is decided in reality.

Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae

Latest on potential Barcelona sales – what does the future hold for Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and others?

Joan Laporta will have raised some eyebrows with comments made in an interview, with the Barcelona president saying the club said no to a proposal worth €200m for Lamine Yamal. My sources have confirmed that the club that approached Barca for Yamal was Paris Saint-Germain – there is interest from the French giants, but at the moment I don’t have confirmation of an official or formal proposal.

Still, of course we know how it works in the transfer market, with approaches made to clubs, sometimes via agents, and in any case, Laporta has confirmed that Barcelona are prepared to say no to €200m for Lamine Yamal. Why? First of all, because Barca believe this top young player will be the face of their project for the future, so there is no intention to sell the player at this stage.

Barca also believe that Yamal’s new contract for 2025, when he will turn 18, is almost guaranteed, and they have a good relationship with the player, so he will be the face of their project for years to come, along with others. PSG’s interest is there behind the scenes, but we don’t know for sure yet about any official bids.

Barcelona have other gems in their academy, and one of those is Mikayil Faye. He’s still waiting to make his debut, but this boy has been doing fantastic in the academy and already three clubs wanted him last January. Lens made a proposal of €9m for Faye, but Barca said no, while there was also interest from Ajax and Girona. Still, Barca didn’t want to negotiate – this is a special talent, Barca know that, and they think he will be the next academy player to go up into the first-team.

It’s important to say, however, that Barcelona will have to make a decision for the summer – trust him and include him in the first-team, or sell him for a profit as there is a lot of interest around Europe. For sure, it’s an interesting situation for for an interesting talent.

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Laporta also mentioned other players attracting interest and I’m sure he is referring to recent years as Man United bid for Frenkie de Jong years ago, and there was also interest from the Premier League for Gavi, and Bayern wanted Ronald Araujo in January. But Barca’s plan is very clear: they don’t want to sell their key players. The message is very clear and of course it always depends on players’ decisions, but it’s very quiet so far.

Finally, I’m not aware of any official or formal bid from Al Hilal for Raphinha at this stage, despite what’s been reported by some outlets. I’m still told that Raphinha could be one to watch in the summer in the even of good proposal, but I’m not in the position to confirm about Saudi as most likely destination as I’m told is nothing close or concrete so far, so I believe Europe is still an option.

Real Madrid confident of keeping Toni Kroos

I will keep you posted on Toni Kroos’ future in the coming weeks, but as I recently said, there is optimism that Real Madrid will be able to keep the experienced German midfielder for one more season. Real Madrid remain optimistic and confident, they are waiting for Kroos to make a final decision, but they believe there is a good chance to keep him at the club.

Florian Wirtz likely to stay at Bayer Leverkusen for one more year

Florian Wirtz has spoken about his future, suggesting that for now his plan is to remain at Bayer Leverkusen, and that’s my understanding as well – his full focus on Leverkusen and on the Euros. There are currently no negotiations and sources close to the player believe the best option is to stay at Leverkusen for one more year, at least. Then never say never in football, but it’s very quiet so far.

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Transfer news: Franck Haise to Liverpool, Lamine Yamal to PSG, Bayern eye Milan star & more

Jonathan Johnson — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 22:45:00 +0000

This article was originally published on the Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Jonathan Johnson’s exclusive transfer articles via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io

Why Franck Haise to Liverpool makes more sense than you might think

Although we’ve heard a lot about names like Xabi Alonso and Roberto De Zerbi, Lens manager Franck Haise has also been linked as one potential outsider for the Liverpool job after his impressive work in Ligue 1.

My understanding is that, yes, there has been interest in him going back a couple of years now, not just from Liverpool but also from other clubs across Europe. Haise has spoken about the Liverpool links publicly and said he’s quite flattered, and that it gives validation to the good work that he and his staff and players have done so far.

I think it’s important, however, to flag up precisely what Haise has achieved, as there’ll be some fans in England whose first response to links with Liverpool might be “who’s he?” and “what’s he achieved?” and I don’t think you can underplay the massive role that he’s played in the restoration of Lens to being one of France’s major clubs once again.

Lens has huge cultural significance to French football, a huge fan-base, and there are a lot of parallels between them and Borussia Dortmund, which perhaps makes sense as him being linked as someone who could follow Jurgen Klopp. Still, in terms of what he’s done on the pitch he’s not had quite the same amount of time with Lens as Klopp had with Dortmund, so he doesn’t have the silverware or European runs to boast.

What Haise has done, though, is ensured Lens got back into the Champions League this season, after finishing just a point behind champions PSG last term, and they’ve never finished lower than 7th under the 52-year-old. They are statistically the most in-form team in France in 2024, so if you bear in mind that he’s done all this with a fraction of the budget of PSG, he has done a phenomenal job.

He keeps improving players as well, if you look at the names the club have sold at a major profit, while he’s also kept the team competitive even after they’ve left, so it’s hard to underplay what a terrific job he’s done, and it’s not gone unnoticed by English clubs, with Brighton looking at him before appointing Roberto De Zerbi to replace Graham Potter.

While I’d expect Haise to continue being on the radar of top clubs around Europe, there might be some issues with the language barrier at Liverpool, but in terms of the overall fit I don’t think it’s a nonsensical story at all.

Theo Hernandez transfer interest looks likely this summer

Theo Hernandez has been linked with Bayern Munich as a potential replacement for Alphonso Davies, and obviously there’s a sparsity of real quality full-backs in world football these days, so when you have someone of the calibre of Hernandez, then he’s going to be linked with the likes of Bayern.

It does seem like Davies is likely to go to Real Madrid, and in terms of Hernandez there’s a number of European clubs who’ve been interested in him, though I think Bayern could be a good fit as they’ve historically had success with French signings. So it wouldn’t be a step down from AC Milan, while his brother Lucas Hernandez has played there as well, so he’d be able to find out everything he needs to know about what it’s like to play there.

One important factor will be whoever becomes Bayern’s next head coach, as we know Thomas Tuchel will be leaving his position at the end of the season. Xabi Alonso is a name high up on their list after impressing at Bayer Leverkusen, but we’ll have to see who ends up being the official choice and how Hernandez would fit in stylistically with that appointment. There is currently no clarity on who will be leading Bayern after Tuchel so I think those questions will need to be answered for this move to make sense.

There’s been a bit of speculation as well about Milan’s future and potentially needing to cash in on players depending on where they finish in Serie A. So I do think Hernandez is someone who will have a fair bit of interest in him this summer, and possibly it’s a move that could materialise depending on if Davies leaves Bayern and who is chosen as the club’s next manager.

PSG duo still feature in the club’s future plans

Kylian Mbappe and Goncalo Ramos

Both Randal Kolo Muani and Goncalo Ramos made big moves to PSG last summer, and it’s no secret that they’ve not looked at their best so far. Still, despite any speculation about the two forwards, I think it’s a situation that will be cleared up once Kylian Mbappe moves on. In many ways they haven’t lived up to expectations, considering how prolific Ramos was at Benfica, and the role Kolo Muani had at Eintracht Frankfurt, but it’s worth remembering that this is a completely new PSG team – they’ve had to bed in with a number of new teammates, as well as a new manager in Luis Enrique, who I think has actually done very well to knit together this squad in such a short space of time.

I don’t think all hope is lost – Ramos has certainly turned a bit of a corner of late, and while it’s not been easy for Kolo Muani I think the opportunity will come for him to prove himself. And obviously once Mbappe is no longer available to Enrique, as he’s been saying publicly recently that he’s building for the future without him, perhaps then he’ll settle on a system that relies more on both these strikers. Still, for the moment it feels like only one can thrive at the moment, so that’s why both of them have struggled this season. They’re not going to get in ahead of Mbappe, while Ousmane Dembele is doing well out wide and Bradley Barcola has come on leaps and bounds in recent months, which now makes him a pretty much nailed-on starter in major games.

Ramos and Kolo Muani will get their chances, but it also seems likely that one of them will continue to miss out and it’ll probably only be properly cleared up next season. Both of them are very capable attackers, though, and I don’t think PSG will be looking to separate with either of them at the moment. Remember that PSG made Ramos’ loan move permanent even while his form’s not the best, so I don’t think we’ve seen the last of them at this point. I think both of them figure in PSG’s plans for the future.

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Lamine Yamal to PSG – how realistic is this transfer?

The Lamine Yamal and PSG stories are interesting – how much truth is there to PSG’s interest? Well, they’re always interested in the best young talents around, and although I’d say their interest is stronger when it’s domestic-based talent now, hailing from the Paris region where possible, Yamal is certainly one of the world’s most exciting prospects, so the links make sense.

Still, is a deal for Yamal actually realistic? I think if PSG could move for him at a favourable price, but if it’s a question of triggering his release clause at Barcelona, and we know that they have extremely elevated release clauses, I don’t think that’s a realistic scenario.

PSG will have money to spend once Mbappe moves on, but the way I’d expect them to spend that is to go a handful of players, rather than blowing it all on one name. I think it’ll be three to five players, as opposed to just one or two big names. If the deal was interesting and favourable to PSG financially then they’d look into it for sure, but I don’t think he’ll be at the top of their shopping list for now if the price tag remains in the hundreds of millions, as rumours have suggested it would be.

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Exclusive: Expert confirms Liverpool interest in underrated Ligue 1 manager who’s done “phenomenal” job

Mark Brus — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 13:25:00 +0000

Liverpool have a long-standing interest in Lens manager Franck Haise as he’s linked as a possible outsider in the race to replace Jurgen Klopp at Anfield this summer.

The French tactician has done impressive work during his time in Ligue 1, though most Premier League fans are probably not that familiar with him, so might be surprised seeing him mentioned alongside a big club like Liverpool.

While the likes of Xabi Alonso and Roberto De Zerbi may seem like more obvious choices for the Reds, French football expert Jonathan Johnson has praised Haise and provided his insight into the links as he spoke exclusively to CaughtOffside for his latest Daily Briefing column.

Johnson believes Haise deserves more credit for the job he’s done turning Lens around on a fraction of the budget managers have worked with at Paris Saint-Germain, while he also noted there might be comparisons to make with Jurgen Klopp’s success during his spell in charge of Borussia Dortmund.

Franck Haise could be an outsider for the Liverpool job

Haise Liverpool links not as crazy as they sound, says Johnson

“Although we’ve heard a lot about names like Xabi Alonso and Roberto De Zerbi, Lens manager Franck Haise has also been linked as one potential outsider for the Liverpool job after his impressive work in Ligue 1,” Johnson said.

“My understanding is that, yes, there has been interest in him going back a couple of years now, not just from Liverpool but also from other clubs across Europe.

“I don’t think you can underplay the massive role that he’s played in the restoration of Lens to being one of France’s major clubs once again. Lens has huge cultural significance to French football, a huge fan-base, and there are a lot of parallels between them and Borussia Dortmund, which perhaps makes sense as him being linked as someone who could follow Jurgen Klopp. Still, in terms of what he’s done on the pitch he’s not had quite the same amount of time with Lens as Klopp had with Dortmund, so he doesn’t have the silverware or European runs to boast.

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“What Haise has done, though, is ensured Lens got back into the Champions League this season, after finishing just a point behind champions PSG last term, and they’ve never finished lower than 7th under the 52-year-old. They are statistically the most in-form team in France in 2024, so if you bear in mind that he’s done all this with a fraction of the budget of PSG, he has done a phenomenal job.

“He keeps improving players as well, if you look at the names the club have sold at a major profit, while he’s also kept the team competitive even after they’ve left, so it’s hard to underplay what a terrific job he’s done, and it’s not gone unnoticed by English clubs, with Brighton looking at him before appointing Roberto De Zerbi to replace Graham Potter.

“While I’d expect Haise to continue being on the radar of top clubs around Europe, there might be some issues with the language barrier at Liverpool, but in terms of the overall fit I don’t think it’s a nonsensical story at all.”

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Ligue 1 manager a surprise candidate for Liverpool job, his emergence is based on data

Darren Looney — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 15:20:28 +0000

Liverpool are currently compiling a list of potential managers to take over from Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season and a surprise name from Ligue 1 has emerged in the Reds’ list.

The German coach will leave Anfield after nine years in charge and whoever follows the 56-year-old will have massive shoes to fill.

Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso is seen as the favourite to take over but the Spanish coach may be hard to get as the Bundesliga leaders will not want to lose him.

According to The Athletic, Ruben Amorim, Julian Nagelsmann, Roberto De Zerbi and Eddie Howe are all on Liverpool’s list, but a new candidate has emerged based on data.

RC Lens boss Franck Haise is now a possible candidate to replace Klopp at Liverpool following the work he has done at the French club since taking over in 2020.

Franck Haise is a candidate for the Liverpool job

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Why is Franck Haise a Liverpool candidate?

Haise is currently manager of Ligue 1 club RC Lens and he has held that role since 2020. This is the French coach’s biggest job and the 52-year-old has been super successful in the role.

The Lens boss guided the French outfit to the Champions League last season, which was only the third time in their history, and their first since the 2002/03 campaign. This saw Haise crowned manager of the year in France and it put him on the radar for several clubs.

Haise could be a good option for the Liverpool job but he is likely way down the list, with some of the names mentioned above ahead of the French coach.

The Reds are still a long way from appointing their next manager as they still have to bring in a sporting director before doing so, which they are hoping to do by the end of March.

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Exclusive: Man United star surely leaving and could seal transfer back to former club, says expert

Mark Brus — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 14:38:27 +0000

French football expert Jonathan Johnson believes Manchester United defender Raphael Varane could seal a transfer back to Lens once his contract at Old Trafford expires in the summer.

Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside, Johnson explained that, with Man Utd taking the decision not to trigger a one-year extension to Varane’s contract, instead trying to get him to agree to a new deal on reduced wages, it most likely meant that the club and the player would be parting ways at the end of the season.

Varane could then return to Lens, rather than move somewhere like Saudi Arabia, according to Johnson, who added that the recent links to big names like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are also genuine.

Still, Johnson has pointed out that the experienced Frenchman is not keen on playing so many games and running himself into the ground, so it may be that a year or two back at Lens might be a move that suits him well at this stage of his career.

Raphael Varane of Manchester United

“We’ve seen an interesting scenario develop at Manchester United, who have decided not to trigger the option to extend Raphael Varane’s contract by another year, instead hoping to get him to agree to a new deal on reduced wages. I can’t see United and Varane agreeing altered terms, so I suspect at this point that we’re probably about to see his last few months at Old Trafford if he doesn’t get a move this January,” Johnson said.

“There have been links with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich and I can confirm that these are real. We know that Bayern looked at Jerome Boateng a few months ago and then decided against that move, but they could still do with cover in defence. As already mentioned, Real Madrid might favour someone like Yoro over Varane, who would be more of a stop-gap solution, but the link isn’t too surprising given his past success with the club and the fact that he reported still has a house in Madrid.

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