Chelsea ‘will rival Man Utd for Raphael Varane transfer’ in new twist before Man City tie

Chelsea: Tuchel suggests Champions League is up for grabs

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Chelsea will rival Manchester United for the signing of Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane, it has been claimed. The France international is a vital asset for Zinedine Zidane over in Spain. However, a parting of the ways could be on the cards come the end of the campaign.

Chelsea have seen their defenders improve since Thomas Tuchel’s appointment as manager.

Cesar Azpilicueta looks back to his best over at Stamford Bridge, with the veteran winding back the years.

Kurt Zouma is starting to resemble the player the Blues hoped he would be, while Antonio Rudiger has flourished since being brought in from the cold.

However, Chelsea know they need more if they’re to win the Premier League title for the first time since Antonio Conte’s spell in charge.

And, now, BILD journalist Christian Falk has claimed the west London giants will challenge United for the signing of Varane this summer.

“TRUE. Manchester United have a competitor in the Transfer-Poker for @raphaelvarane,” he said on Twitter.

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“Thomas Tuchel is also interested in the Player of @realmadrid for a Transfer to @ChelseaFC.”

Chelsea have a good relationship with Real Madrid, something that may work in their favour.

They raided the La Liga giants for the signing of Claude Makelele back in 2003, in a move that upset many fans of the reigning Spanish champions.

Chelsea landed Mateo Kovacic from the club, too, while Eden Hazard headed to Spain back in the summer transfer window of 2019.

But while the Blues want to secure the signing of Varane, that’s something that could be easier said than done.

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They’ll need Champions League football to boost their chances and, at the current moment in time, they’re fifth in the Premier League table – a point behind fourth-placed West Ham.

And they may also need to show they’re serious with their interest, too.

Manchester United have long admired Varane, with interest in the 2018 World Cup winner dating back to Sir Alex Ferguson’s time in charge.

And Ole Gunnar Solskjaer feels the 27-year-old would be the perfect partner for Harry Maguire at the back, despite Victor Lindelof’s obvious improvement.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are in FA Cup action against Manchester City today.

And, speaking ahead of that showdown, touched admitted there was a gap between the two teams – one he’s determined to close.

“We have to accept that there is a gap between us and Manchester City,” he said ahead of the match at Wembley.

“If you look at the fixture in the Premier League and the fixtures in the last years we have to accept this. And it’s important that we accept this without making ourselves too small.

“So from next year on, from day one of next season we will hunt them, we will try to close the gap between us.

“And this the benchmark. For me in Europe there are two teams who are the benchmark, there is Bayern Munich and Manchester City.”

He then added: “I arrive happy to compete against the benchmark in England and Europe.

“We want the momentum of football on our side, and to play at the top level it’s not to force things, and we’ll need a bit of luck.”

Tuchel also hailed Pep Guardiola, saying: “He’s a huge influence on me because when he was coach at Barcelona I didn’t have the chance to know him personally, but I was watching almost every game.

“I was very impressed by the way they made success happen, by the style they were playing, all the academy guys, the offensive ball possession.

“And what was maybe most impressive about this team was the mentality and how they defended when they lost the ball.”

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