Manchester United's eyes are fully focused on the summer transfer window after the season ended in disappointing fashion on Wednesday evening.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side were beaten by Villarreal in the Europa League final after a lengthy penalty shootout, with David de Gea seeing his decisive spot-kick saved.
It leaves United needing a response at the start of next season and increases the importance of the transfer activity in the coming months.
The club are in the market for a right-sided forward and a central defender to partner Harry Maguire - and they may have received a boost in the hunt for the latter.
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France international Raphael Varane is one of the names under consideration for United, with the club holding talks with the Real Madrid man.
Varane first appeared on United's radar a decade ago and could be on the move this summer, as he approaches the final year of his deal at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Real's stance has always been that they would prefer a sale this summer, rather than losing him for nothing next year, and an exit may have been accelerated by the latest developments from the Spanish capital.
The club confirmed on Thursday that Zinedine Zidane is leaving the club, bringing an end to his second spell in charge of the side where he holds legendary status after lifting numerous titles as both captain and manager.
It sparks the start of a new era at Real, which may lead Varane to decide the same is the case for him - potentially pushing for an exit.
Wholesale changes are expected this summer, following Atletico Madrid's La Liga winning campaign, with plenty of incoming and outgoing business expected from Real.
Varane could be one of those on the move, with Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard among the other high-profile names that could be offloaded.
Real are desperate to sign both Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, requiring sales to fund those ambitious transfers with the club's finances stretched by the coronavirus pandemic.
The club could still also face UEFA sanctions after their European Super League plans, fronted by Florentino Perez, as Real are still yet to formally withdraw despite the collapse of the proposals.
