Manchester United Transfer News: Record-Breaking Sergio Ramos Offer Readied

Manchester United will make Real Madrid a final offer worth €60 million (approx. £41.9 million) for centre-back Sergio Ramos. If accepted, the Spanish World Cup winner will become the most expensive defender ever.

E.F. Abascal of AS reports Los Blancos have already swatted away a €45 million (£31.4 million) bid from the Premier League club. He suggests the club "won't talk" for anything less than €90 million (£62.8 million). It's likely this number is meant to scare United off.

"At Madrid they are confident that if they listen to offers, as requested by Ramos, the player will relax his salary demands to stay in the Spanish capital," writes Abascal.

Alvaro Barrientos/Associated Press

Ramos reportedly wants his annual wage to rise from €6 million to €10 million, which would put him on roughly €192,000 per week (approx. £134,000).

However, Abascal suggests United can offer him €55 million over five years, around €211,000 (£147,000 per week). Ramos currently earns in the region of €115,000 per week (£80,000) if calculated from Abascal's original numbers.

Considering United striker Wayne Rooney currently earns £300,000 per week at the club, Louis van Gaal's side are unlikely to quarrel over paying such a world-class star so handsomely.

Abascal hints the potential transfer is not linked to Madrid's interest in goalkeeper David De Gea, but United's next bid will be their last.

Marca doesn't think Madrid will cash in on their leader, tweeted via B/R UK:

Football writer Raphael Honigstein recently discussed the likelihood of the transfer with the ESPN FC team:

Ramos' importance has upped at the Bernabeu since the departure of goalkeeper and long-time captain Iker Casillas. He is the club's most dominant centre-back and a key figure in the last decade of success, someone who still has years of quality football ahead of him at the age of 29.

Confidence is key to Ramos' quality. He is assertive in the tackle and when battling for aerial balls, not to mention being a keen passer of the ball from the back.

Van Gaal pushed Phil Jones and Chris Smalling into bringing possession away from De Gea by stepping forward last season—with only the latter managing it well—so will likely see Ramos as the perfect addition to maintaining control in United's half.

Madrid have an excellent replacement in Raphael Varane, a player who has remained on the brink of breaking into the first team across the last couple of years.

Varane is pacey and unafraid of facing the best, highlighted by his quality performances in the 2014 Champions League final and at last summer's World Cup.

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

PSG defender David Luiz is currently the game's most expensive, having set the French club back €50 million (£35 million), per Abascal. United spent £30 million for Rio Ferdinand in 2002, a player who would go on to win 18 trophies in 12 years with the club. Ramos isn't being targeted with the long-term in mind, though, and can be seen as an instant fix for Van Gaal.

Greater sponsorship avenues and increased wealth from the Premier League's television-rights deal will allow United to spend more freely over the next few years. This means players such as Ramos—those who can deliver across a short-term stay—are more likely to be targeted.

We've already seen this happen with Robin van Persie, who fired United to the title during his three years with the club before moving on this summer.

Van Gaal is in the second year of his three-year contract, so he will also be looking to build a winning team before it's too late.