Jose Mourinho took charge as new manager at Manchester United after the Red Devils parted ways with Louis van Gaal.
The Dutchman was relieved from his duties at Old Trafford just days after he guided them to the FA Cup triumph but that did not stop the Premier League club from sacking the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager.
Since Mourinho took the role at United, the 20-time English champions already completed a deal in signing Eric Bailly. The Ivory Coast international arrived at Old Trafford from Villarreal.
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Bailly is unlikely to be the only defender to arrive in the summer transfer window. Spanish newspaper Marca believes Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane has now become the latest target for the English giants.
During the 2015-16 season, the France international started in 23 league matches but has failed to beat the partnership of Sergio Ramos and Pepe in the heart of the Spanish capital club's back four.
Not featuring on a consistent basis has seen the defender become unhappy and this could force him to look at other options in the ongoing transfer window. This situation has alerted Mourinho as the two have worked together when the former was a manager at Real.
It was the Portuguese tactician who got Varane to Santiago Bernabeu and under his guidance, the Frenchman went on to become one of the top defenders in Europe. In February, Zinedine Zidane admitted that Mourinho could make an approach for the central defender in the summer.
Varane sale not a certainty
However, the Real manager admitted that it would be difficult to allow the club to sanction his sale.
"Of course it is normal Mourinho would want to sign Raphael. He knows him well, he brought him here to the club. But I want Varane to stay in Madrid. He is the future of the club," Zidane explained, as reported by Goal.com.
Varane has other plans. Injury ruled him out of Euro 2016 in his homeland and he has hinted that he could leave his current employers in the summer transfer window.
"After five years in Madrid I hope to be able to overcome some obstacles," Varane told AFP in May.
"I feel this is a crucial moment. I think a player has to develop and feel that they are important. I try to work hard every day and progress. I know the qualities I have and what I am capable of."
"Until November I played nearly every game. It's also true that I made a few uncharacteristic mistakes but, over the whole of the season, you can't fixate on this.
"There have been loads of positives. It's true that I would have liked to play the season's decisive games, especially in the Champions League, but these are the manager's decisions."
