Manchester United are set to battle other Premier League clubs for Marcel Sabitzer’s signature this summer.
That is according to German outlet Bild, who report United, Liverpool and Tottenham are all interested in Sabitzer and are ready "to go head-to-head" to compete for his services.
The RB Leipzig captain's contract expires in 2022 and it's believed the Red Bull franchise club are reluctant to let him go on a free.
Sabitzer, now 27-years-old, has played a key role in Leipzig's success in recent seasons, and his development under Julian Nagelsmann has enabled him to become one of Europe's most dynamic midfielders.
Leipzig are said to value Sabizter at £36m, and the report also alleges that it's actually Tottenham that are most likely to sign the Austrian, with the London club reported long-term admirers of the playmaker.
Furthermore, any Sabitzer transfer to Old Trafford might not make complete sense anyway, as the midfielder's preferred position is in attacking midfield, and United already have the indispensable Bruno Fernandes that occupies that role.
In other news, United may have been unknowingly dealt a transfer blow, with Raphael Varane dropping a hint over his Real Madrid future while on international duty with France.
The Reds' interest in the Madrid centre-half has been well documented, and Varane was identified as the ideal defensive signing by United's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward in 2018.
If United want to mount a serious title challenge next season, Harry Maguire requires a world-class partner, and a move for Varane would certainly be a statement of intent from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
However, Varane has recently claimed he wants to play alongside Kylian Mbappe and that would likely be at Madrid, which suggests he's not thinking about leaving for pastures new anytime soon.
'He's still young but he has made huge progress and he keeps developing," Varane said. "He's becoming an all-around player and he's still a goalscorer, he's one of the best.
"My goal is to play alongside the best players and Kylian is one of the best players in European football.'"
