Manchester United to step up efforts to sign Varane

Cape Town - Manchester United are believed to have stepped up their efforts to sign Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane ahead of the transfer window.

The France international has been strongly linked with a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu and United are thought to be one of the teams challenging for the centre-back's services.

Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain have also contacted Real Madrid about the possibility of signing Varane but United are believed to be ready to splash the cash on the defender.

Los Blancos could do with the extra funds, as they are themselves linked with big-money moves for both Chelsea star Eden Hazard and PSG striker Kylian Mbappe.

Real Madrid, manager Zinedine Zidane, will leave no stone unturned as they try to recover from a disappointing current season in which they lay third, a massive 13 points behind leaders Barcelona.