Manchester United Transfer News: Raphael Varane Rejects Jose Mourinho Reunion

Raphael Varane has rejected advances from Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and will stay on at Real Madrid, per Pablo Polo of Marca.

The France international has become one of the most sought-after defenders in world football following his rapid development at the Santiago Bernabeu, but Mourinho has been unable to tempt the 23-year-old to reunite with him in Manchester.

The Old Trafford club have undergone a transformation following the appointment of the Portuguese boss this summer, recruiting central defender Eric Bailly, attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to improve the team's spine. 

Varane was brought to the Spanish capital in 2011 for €10 million (£8.4 million) by Mourinho at the age of 18, and the former Lens defender is willing to fight for his place in the first team despite competition from Sergio Ramos and Pepe. 

Thibault Camus/Associated Press

According to WhoScored.com, Varane still managed to make 26 appearances in La Liga last term, including 23 starts.

Ahead of Real's pre-season tour to Montreal, he took to Twitter to pose with his team-mates:

Per Polo, United are not the only club interested in the towering centre-back, with two other Premier League sides vying for his services with reported bids of €40 million (£33.4 million).

Real head coach Zinedine Zidane is a keen admirer of Varane and understands his best years are ahead of him. With Ramos and Pepe both the wrong side of 30, the Frenchman could play a key role in Los Blancos' defence for the foreseeable future. 

Should Mourinho fail to persuade Varane to swap the whites of Madrid for the red of United, the club may turn their attention toward Juventus centre-back Leonardo Bonucci, per ESPN FC's Miguel Delaney.

With Paul Pogba proving to be Mourinho's No. 1 transfer target this summer, United have held several talks with the Serie A champions in recent weeks, and Delaney reported Bonucci's name has been raised in discussions as a possible transfer option.

Thanassis Stavrakis/Associated Press

The Italy international, 29, has raised his performance levels dramatically in the past two years. A ball-playing defender, his range of passing allows Massimiliano Allegri's side to generate counter-attacks at pace and enables central players to push further forward.

Once again, Mourinho is not the sole interested party, with domestic rivals Chelsea and Manchester City reportedly both further ahead in the negotiation stage. Per Delaney, the Serie A and Coppa Italia holders are keen to gather €60 million (£50.1 million) should Bonucci leave Turin.