Real Madrid open talks with French defender as potential replacement for Varane and Ramos - Reports 

Real Madrid have opened talks with Sevilla defender Jules Koundé for potentially replacing Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos, according to French outlet Foot Mercato.

Real Madrid have always been huge admirers of Jules Koundé. The 22-year-old French international played a vital role in securing a Champions League berth for Sevilla. Kounde's good league form has earned him a place in Didier Deschamps' France squad for Euro 2020.

🚨Info : Le Real Madrid ⚪⚪ s'active sur Jules Koundé 🇫🇷. Des premiers contacts avec l'entourage du joueur ont été établis. https://t.co/mCZ9tEGwYd

— Santi' FM (@Santi_J_FM) May 25, 2021

Signing a young centre-back with bags of potential makes sense for Real Madrid. However, Los Blancos will need to shell out a hefty fee in order to land Jules Koundé.

Sevilla have added a €90 million release clause to Kounde's contract. Sevilla's director of football, Monchi, is not ready to sell the defender for anything less.

Koundé has a similar style of play as Varane. The 22-year-old doesn't rush into tackles early, rather forces his opponent to make mistakes. Despite being only 5’10”, the Frenchman has a good jump in him that allows him to win most of his heading duels.

Sergio Ramos and Raphel Varane face uncertain Real Madrid futures

Real Madrid are in the market to sign a full centre-back with the future of long-serving defenders Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos still unclear. Club captain Sergio Ramos' contract is expiring in a few months while Varane only has one year left on his contract.

Raphael Varane is a target for Manchester United. The Red Devils are hoping to sign the 28-year-old for a reasonable price.

However, according to the Express, Real Madrid are quite confident that Varane will extend his stay at the Bernabeu beyond 2022.

Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos have been rock-solid together (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Sergio Ramos, on the other hand, has had a difficult season. The Real Madrid captain only made 15 La Liga appearances this season.

It is still unclear whether Ramos will sign a new contract this summer, leaving Real Madrid with only Nacho and Militao as defenders with a long-term future at the club.

(🌤) Real Madrid have accelerated Jules Kounde 🇫🇷 operation in recent hours and have established contact with the player's agents. Seville is beginning to anticipate a start and has already inquired about Lens's Loïc Badé 🇫🇷. [@Santi_J_FM] #RMAlive pic.twitter.com/KFXjWNrcPY

— RouteOneFootball (@Route1futbol) May 25, 2021