Manchester United have decided not to exercise an option to extend Raphael Varane’s contract by a year, allowing the defender to begin talks with international teams about a summer transfer tomorrow. 

The France international’s current deal expires at the end of the season, but it has an automatic extension clause that United have declined to exercise by the January 1 deadline.

United are still interested in extending Varane’s stay at Old Trafford and expect to begin contract negotiations next month.

According to Mail Sport, United believe the 30-year-old’s current £340,000-a-week salary is difficult to explain given his injury troubles, which have limited him to seven Premier League starts this season. The club wants to renegotiate new terms because triggering the agreement would have maintained Varane on similarly high salary.

As part of their efforts to comply with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules, United is also looking to cut the pay of their highest-earning players more broadly in order to free up resources for new acquisitions next summer.

Manchester United have chosen not to exercise an option to extend Raphael Varane’s contract.

United is looking to lower the salary of their highest-paid players in order to free up resources.

Varane, who joined United in a £34 million trade from Real Madrid two and a half years ago, became the club’s highest-paid player following the exits of Cristiano Ronaldo and David De Gea.

Varane is an important element of Erik Ten Hag’s plans, and despite questions about his fitness, he has started United’s last two games, but the club is in limbo while the Premier League approves Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s purchase of a 25% interest.

By declining to use the option to automatically renew Varane’s contract, United risk losing him at the end of the season for nothing.

The club is in limbo as they await the approval of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s 25% interest.

nited’s approach to Varane mirrors their treatment of De Gea a year ago, when they chose not to activate an extension clause in the goalkeeper’s contract in order to cut his £375,000-a-week salary. 

The Spanish international was later given a new deal, but he declined and left the club last summer.

Varane has been courted by Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in recent weeks, but he is said to be content at United. Along with Varane, Anthony Martial, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jonny Evans, and Tom Heaton are all out of contract this summer.