Utd decide NOT to use option to extend Varane's £340,000-a-week contract

Manchester United have decided against triggering an option to extend Raphael Varane's contract by 12 months leaving the defender free to hold talks with foreign clubs over a summer transfer from tomorrow.

The France international's current contract runs out at the end of the season, but contains a clause giving United the option to automatically extend, which they have declined to take up by the 1 January deadline.

United remain interested in extending Varane's stay at Old Trafford however, and plan to open talks over a new deal next month.

Mail Sport has been told that United regard the 30-year-old's current £340,000-a-week wages as hard to justify given the injury problems that have restricted him to seven Premier League starts this season. Triggering the extension would have kept Varane on similarly high wages and the club want to renegotiate fresh terms.

United are also seeking to reduce the wages of their highest-earning players more generally to free up resources for new signings next summer as they battle to comply with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules.

Varane became United's highest-paid player following the departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and David De Gea having joined the club in a £34million transfer from Real Madrid two-and-a-half years ago.

Varane remains a major part of Erik Ten Hag's plans and he has started United's last two matches despite concerns over his fitness, but the club is in a state of flux as they wait for Sir Jim Ratcliffe's purchase of a 25 per cent stake to be ratified by the Premier League.

By declining to take up the option to automatically extend Varane's contract United risk him leaving for nothing at the end of the season.

United's approach to Varane echoes their treatment of De Gea 12 months ago when they opted not to trigger an extension clause in the goalkeeper's contract as they wanted to reduce his £375,000-a-week wages.

The Spanish international was subsequently offered a new contract, but declined to accept it and left the club last summer.

Varane has attracted interest from Real and Bayern Munich in recent weeks, but is believed to be happy at United. In addition to Varane, Anthony Martial, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jonny Evans and Tom Heaton are also out of contract in the summer.

United declined to comment.