Real Madrid keen to take Manchester United defender off their hands this summer

Raphael Varane could be used as a makeweight

Real Madrid are reportedly lining up a £35m bid for Manchester United defender Eric Bailly this summer. The central defender has fallen out of favour at Old Trafford under new manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who (bizarrely) seems to prefer both Chris Smalling and Phil Jones. Madrid look likely to lose Raphael Varane this summer, with reports from Spain claiming the World Cup winner has informed the club of his desire to leave this summer in search of a new challenge. Varane could therefore be used as a makeweight in a swap deal from which United would certainly emerge the victors. Madrid had also expressed interest in Bailly back in 2016, when he joined United from Villarreal, and will now go back in with another bid in the upcoming transfer window. The Ivorian defender has 15 months remaining on his contract but there have been no discussions to extend it, to Bailly's frustration. Rather than running his contract down, United are keen to recoup the £30m they paid for him and more. It's a no brainer for United, especially if Varane comes the other way.