Real Madrid centre-back Raphael Varane is back on the Chelsea radar as they step up their attempts to sign a defender.
The Blues have been linked with the Frenchman in the past couple of transfer windows, with the west London side being manager by the man who brought him to the Santiago Bernabeu – Jose Mourinho.
Varane was known to be unsettled at Los Blancos a while ago, frustrated by the lack of first team football having overcome two serious injuries. But last season he played more minutes than veteran Pepe and will now be looking to cement his place in the side alongside Sergio Ramos in the heart of the defence.
With Chelsea captain John Terry now into the autumn of his career, the Stamford Bridhe outit needs to start looking at replacing the 34-year-old. As is his way, Mourinho has done his best to unsettle Everton defender John Stones and has seen two bids fail already. All could change in the final week of the transfer window but so far Roberto Martinez has held firm in his insistence Stones won’t be moving anywhere.
Varane, now a full France international, joined Los Blancos in 2011 from Lens and has played 117 times.
