Home Football Three highly regarded players, some of whom might fetch up to £86 million if Sir Ratcliffe chooses to sign them, could take Raphael Varane’s place in the upcoming campaign.

Three highly regarded players, some of whom might fetch up to £86 million if Sir Ratcliffe chooses to sign them, could take Raphael Varane’s place in the upcoming campaign.

Football — 05/17/2024

The defense could be the area that sees the most changes at Manchester United in the upcoming season.

The current season is not yet over, but the future of Varane has already been decided. According to the latest reports, the French center-back will leave Old Trafford immediately after the final round of matches, marking the end of his 3-year journey in the Red Devils’ colors.France defender Raphael Varane retires from international football

Although Raphael Varane has not been able to reproduce the best form he displayed at Real Madrid previously, Manchester United fans can hardly demand more from the defender born in 1993. They will certainly bid him farewell with words of gratitude.

The task for the Old Trafford club now is to find a replacement for the position Varane is leaving behind, as part of the squad overhaul that billionaire Jim Ratcliffe desires. Here are 3 names the Red Devils management may consider for the role, according to 90min.com.

Jonathan Tah – Bayer LeverkusenThe German international is an indispensable part of Leverkusen’s success in the Bundesliga and Europa League under coach Xabi Alonso. If he helps the BayArena club achieve a historic treble, it could be seen as the perfect conclusion to his 9-year stint with the club.Bayer 04 Leverkusen on X: "Jonathan Tah and Wendell are both on four yellow cards going into #B04SGE, meaning they'd miss our following match if they pick up a card this weekend

Tah’s contract with Leverkusen has only 12 months remaining, so it’s uncertain whether he will stay beyond this season. There are reports that the 28-year-old defender is hesitant about extending, and this presents an opportunity for Manchester United to jump in. The expected price to acquire Jonathan Tah is around £17 million – a very attractive figure.

Antonio Silva – BenficaIf they want a younger center-back for a longer-term solution, the Red Devils can look towards the Liga Portugal to consider candidate Antonio Silva – the 20-year-old who is already a pillar of the Benfica team and has been called up to the Portugal national team for some time.Man Utd consider Antonio Silva as ideal candidate to strengthen their defence - Man Utd News

Given the immense potential of this defender, Benfica naturally do not want to lose him easily, even though they know Silva will eventually leave. His contract with the club has a release clause of £86 million. If Manchester United are truly willing to spend, they need to act quickly, as Benfica are also being pursued by several other big clubs like Chelsea, Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

Ronald Araujo – Barcelona Manchester United have long admired the talent of this Uruguayan international, but so far it has only remained at the level of transfer rumors without any official moves from the parties involved.Barcelona's Ronald Araujo on the brink of exit amid financial struggles | soccer On Barcelona’s side, they do not want to lose Araujo, but their financial difficulties may force president Joan Laporta to sell.

The issue now is whether Manchester United can convince the 25-year-old center-back to move to England. The lingering case of Frenkie de Jong’s hesitation still has value, so United want a straightforward answer. Because the £80 million that the Catalan giants are demanding is not beyond their means.