France - Ligue 1
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Lens
Manchester United poised to sign Lens prospect Raphaël Varane
guardian.co.uk May 18 2011 16:00
United close in on 18-year-old Lens defender Varane Ferguson happy to eschew global stars in favour of potentialManchester United confidently expect to begin their summer transfer business by signing Raphaël Varane from Lens in a continuation of their policy to recruit potential stars of the future rather than established category-A players.Varane is regarded as one of the outstanding young players in the French game after breaking into the Lens team at the age of 17. Now 18, he was unable to stop them being relegated from Ligue 1 but has been commended for his mature performances after establishing himself in the side over the past two months.Sir Alex Ferguson's scouts have been regular visitors to the Stade Félix-Bollaert during that period. Formal talks have opened between t