Shirt numbers available to Raphael Varane at Manchester United

Manchester United continue to be strongly linked with a move for Real Madrid centre-back Raphael Varane, and the France international is said to be keen to join the Red Devils this summer.

The 20-time English champions have allegedly identified the World Cup winner as the ideal long-term partner for Harry Maguire in the middle of the defence.

Personal terms are not thought to be an issue, but Man United are yet to settle on a transfer fee with Real Madrid, who are not in a strong position to negotiate, as Varane's deal is due to expire next June.

The 28-year-old has won three La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns during his time in the Spanish capital but is said to be keen to seek pastures new at this stage of his career.

Here, Sports Mole looks at the shirt numbers available to Varane at Old Trafford.

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Varane wears the number four shirt for France, but he has been Real Madrid's number five since the 2016-17 campaign, having previously worn '19' and '2' in the early stages of his career at Los Blancos.

The number four jersey at Old Trafford is held by Phil Jones, but there is every chance that the injury-prone defender could be handed a higher squad number for next season, providing that he stays at the club.

As a result, '4' could be open for Varane, but it is incredibly unlikely that he will have the opportunity to wear '5' at Old Trafford, with the jersey currently held by captain Maguire.

Interestingly, if Paul Pogba leaves, the number six shirt would become available, and the France international is again being strongly linked with a summer exit amid reported interest from Paris Saint-Germain.

Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly wear '2' and '3' respectively for the Red Devils, but the latter's future has been called into question, which could open up another option for Varane in the coming weeks.

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The number 12 shirt is currently available, having been last worn by Chris Smalling in 2019, while Marcos Rojo's 16 shirt has not been filled, making that another potential option for the Real Madrid centre-back.

Further up the list, '24' and '25' are available, but it seems incredibly unlikely that the reported new signing would be handed a high squad number considering his standing and importance if he arrives.

At the moment, taking the number four shirt off Jones and handing it to Varane makes the most sense, but Pogba's possible departure, as mentioned, would open up '6' for the World Cup winner.

That said, '16' could also appeal to Varane, with the number famously sported by the likes of Roy Keane and Michael Carrick, while Gary Neville had a spell with the jersey in the early stages of his Premier League career.