Mourinho has been a long-time admirer of Raphael Varane. The French defender made his debut under the Portuguese’s management and has failed to excel since losing contact with the Special One. In an attempt to revive the youngster’s career and also create a fresh new defensive line, the Special One was planning on signing his former student this winter. Unfortunately for Chelsea, Manchester United have also joined the race and are willing to outbid the Blues in a direct confrontation. According to Metro, the relationship between Varane and Real is pretty delicate right now and the Spaniards are looking to make a profit rather than satisfy the player’s needs.

Chelsea’s £19million will more than likely be countered by Manchester who really need some new defenders to fill in the gaps left by Vidic and Ferdinand. The problem with Varane’s transfer is not only that Real will probably sell to the highest bidder, but also the fact that Mourinho cannot guarantee him a spot in the starting eleven. With Terry and Cahill in exceptional from, Real’s defender will have little to no chance to perform. Being featured in only a few matches is what made Varane want to leave. It is going to be complicated to convince him that joining Chelsea and sacrificing himself for another couple of months is worth it when Manchester will probably offer him more money and a much bigger chance to play on a regular basis.