Manchester United are in the final stages of completing a deal to sign Raphael Varane from Real Madrid, according to Rob Dawson of ESPN.

Varane has agreed to a four-year contract which includes an option for a fifth, reports David Ornstein of The Athletic.

Real Madrid are expected to receive £35 million, plus add-ons, but will be forced to provide a solidarity payment to Varane’s training clubs, Ornstein adds. As a result, United will pay £34 million, plus add-ons, to Madrid over a number of years rather than in one installment.

Completion of the deal is contingent on Varane passing a medical.

Varane, who’s in the final year of his contract, reportedly notified Real Madrid last week of his desire to pursue another opportunity after 10 years in the Spanish capital.

Madrid were holding out for €50 million, but United were confident that they could snag the 2018 World Cup winner for a reduced fee, Dawson reports.

If Real Madrid had failed complete a deal this summer, the club risked losing the center-back for free next year when his contract expires.

The 28-year-old has won four Champions League titles and a trio of La Liga trophies with Real Madrid since his arrival in 2011.

Manchester United are preparing a bid to sign center-back Raphael Varane from Real Madrid, according to The Guardian’s Fabrizio Romano and Marcus Christenson.

It’s understood the Premier League side will offer Varane a five-year contract.

The 2018 World Cup winner is willing to accept the deal after notifying Real Madrid on Monday that he wants to leave after 10 years in the Spanish capital, Romano adds.

United held talks with Varane’s representatives earlier this summer, as the French international was reluctant to sign an extension at Real Madrid before exploring other options, according to Rob Dawson of ESPN.

Real Madrid are holding out for €50 million, but United may attempt to persuade them to accept a lower fee given the Red Devils’ financial restraints following the €84.5 million paid for Jadon Sancho, Dawson adds.

Varane has evolved into one of the world’s top defenders since joining Real Madrid from Lens in 2011 and has won just about every major trophy – including four Champions League titles – at the club level.

Italian ‘keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma penned a five-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, completing a free transfer from AC Milan.

The 22-year-old will reportedly pocket €12 million a season after tax in the French capital, twice what he made at Milan, according to The Athletic’s James Horncastle.

The 30-time capped international was also reportedly linked with Juventus and Barcelona.

Donnarumma won Euro 2020 with the Italian national team on Sunday, saving two penalties in the final to deliver a 3-2 shootout win over England. He was also named the tournament’s best player.

PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino is now blessed with a wealth of options between the posts after last season’s first-choice shot-stopper, Keylor Navas, extended his terms through 2024. The Ligue 1 giants also have Sergio Rico and Alphonse Areola on their books.

Donnarumma is replaced at the San Siro by France international Mike Maignan, who moved to Italy from Lille for a reported €15-million fee at the end of May. Maignan guided Lille to a shock Ligue 1 title last term, ending PSG’s run of seven successive league conquests.

Donnarumma featured over 200 times for the Rossoneri and backstopped them to second place in Serie A last season.

PSG also completed the signings of former Real Madrid icon Sergio Ramos and Inter Milan full-back Achraf Hakimi earlier in the offseason.

Lionel Messi accepted a significant reduction in salary to stay at Barcelona for the next five years, sources told ESPN’s Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens.

Messi reportedly reached an agreement with Barcelona on Wednesday over a longer deal than had been anticipated. It was reported in June that the 34-year-old had accepted a two-year extension, with multiple outlets touting a subsequent move to Major League Soccer.

But Messi instead committed to the Blaugrana until the age of 39, according to Marsden and Llorens. He also agreed to cut his salary by 50%, Sport’s Ivan San Antonio reports.

His previous deal reportedly paid up to €138 million per season.

La Liga president Javier Tebas threatened to block the club from registering Messi’s new contract if it failed to rein in its spending. Barcelona reported gross debt at a whopping €1.173 billion while carrying €671 million in wages during the 2020-21 season.

La Liga imposes individual salary caps based on a number of factors, including a club’s revenue and debt. Though Barcelona far exceeded their €382.7-million limit last season, La Liga chose not to take disciplinary action because of the financial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite Barcelona’s difficulties, they still managed to sign Dutch forward Memphis Depay and Argentinian striker Sergio Aguero on free transfers.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta also secured a €500-million line of credit in May to alleviate the pressure on the club’s books.

Messi nearly forced his way out of Barcelona last August after a humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals. His camp believed he could activate a clause allowing him to unilaterally terminate his contract and leave as a free agent, but then-club president Josep Maria Bartomeu insisted no such clause existed.

Messi declined to take the club to court and saw out the remainder of the campaign. The Argentine scored 38 goals across all competitions and helped Barcelona win the Copa del Rey, their first title in two years.