Chelsea Boosted In Defender Pursuit As Mourinho Eyes £25m Bid For Unsettled Ace

The summer transfer window is now open for business and it’s expected to be a busy few weeks as managers strengthen their squads ahead of next season, so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip. Today, Chelsea receive a boost in their pursuit of Raphael Varane.

Chelsea are ready to pounce with a £25m bid for Raphael Varane amid reports the defender is giving serious consideration to quitting Real Madrid this summer.

Varane is considered as one of the best young defenders in European football but has failed to really establish himself at the Bernabeu following his move from Lens three years ago.

The 21-year-old has made just 38 starts in the league since moving to Spain in 2011 with the likes of Pepe and Serio Ramos preferred options in the middle of the Madrid defence.

It seems the French international is now growing increasingly frustrated at the lack of playing time as the Metro cite reports coming from Madrid-based newspaper Marca that claim the player is demanding showdown talks with Carlo Ancelotti and senior club officials to sort out his future.

The report suggests that if Varane isn’t given assurances he’ll be a regular in the first team next season then he’ll ask to leave the European champions this summer.

Despite his reputation as a future star, Marca seem to think that Madrid will be willing to let Varane leave if he’s not content at the club and are ready to replace him with Real Sociedad defender Inigo Martinez.

It would certainly be a shock if the Spanish giants were to consider selling Varane but the Metro claim that Chelsea are ready to test Madrid’s resolve with a £25m bid should the defender make it clear he wants a new challenge.

Jose Mourinho is in the market for another centre-back following the sale of David Luiz to PSG and the Portuguese coach has previously admitted he’s a huge admirer of Varane, calling him the “best defender in the world”. Mourinho said back in March:

“I think Varane is the best central defender in the world. He is still young, but I think he’s the best. Already, yes. I think he’s the best defender.”

source: Goal

So it’s fair to say the Blues boss would jump at the chance of signing the Frenchman again having been the coach to take him to the Bernabeu in 2011, but we’ll have to wait and see how the talks go with Madrid when he returns to the club from his pre-World Cup break.