Varane to Sign for Real Madrid

Lens president Gervais Martel has confirmed young centre-back Raphael Varane will join Real Madrid.

Varane, 18, was strongly linked with both Madrid and Manchester United this summer and Martel confirmed this week that an offer from Paris St Germain had been rejected.

However, it appears Lens - who will play in Ligue 2 next season - have now accepted an offer and Varane will be plying his trade at the Bernabeu.

"Even if we had stayed in Ligue 1, Raphael Varane would have left Lens as he is a phenomenon," Martel said at a meeting with the club's supporters. "He'll play for Real Madrid under Jose Mourinho's guidance. He has already met him, as well as meeting Zinedine Zidane.

"Raphael is an exceptional boy. I'm proud that he'll be wearing the Real colours. They have been following him for the last two months and we let him visit the club. He said he couldn't turn down the opportunity.

"The decision is not about money. I have to think about his career plans. He will be joining a club with a great sporting project. I'm sure he will find his way at the club."

Martel had previously indicated that Lens were demanding €10 million for Varane.

Canaries Loan De Laet for The Season

Norwich have confirmed the signing of defender Ritchie De Laet on a season-long loan from Manchester United, "subject to the relevant paperwork being completed".

The 22-year-old Belgian, who joined the Red Devils from Stoke in January 2009, spent last season at Portsmouth and will add some defensive cover to the Canaries as they look to stay in the Premier League.

Norwich boss Paul Lambert told the club's official website,: "He will be great for us. He is young and one of his main strengths is pace and he comes from a great club where he's played first-team football.

"He'll come in and help the other lads out. He's played a lot of first-team games out on loan last season and I'm sure he'll do great for us."

Young Signs for United

Manchester United have announced the signing of England international Ashley Young from Aston Villa.

United have long been expected to tie up a deal for Young, who had expressed a desire to play Champions League football, and the 25-year-old was seen undergoing a medical in Manchester on Wednesday.

He is now able to complete the move after the clubs agreed a fee reported to be between £16 million and £20 million.

A statement on Manchester United's official website read: "Manchester United is delighted to announce it has reached agreement with Aston Villa for the transfer of Ashley Young.

"The player passed a medical in Manchester this week and has agreed a five-year contract."

Young added on MUTV: "The opportunity to come and play for one of the biggest clubs in the world is one I couldn't turn down. It's a chance to hopefully become part of their history by helping to win the 20th title.

"It's a prospect I always looked at from being a child: to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world. I've got that opportunity now so I've just got to take it with two hands."

New Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish was already resigned to losing Young as his contract was set to expire next summer, and he has passed on his best wishes to the player.

"Ashley has made a terrific contribution for Villa in the last four-and-a-half seasons and everyone at the club wishes him the best for the future," McLeish said. "He has become an important player in the England team during that time and I am sure he will be looking forward to this new challenge."

Young signed for Villa from Watford in January 2007 for an eventual fee of £10 million and scored 38 goals in 190 appearances. Watford are apparently due to receive 15% of the sell-on fee Villa have received as part of the original agreement.

Young Deal Close for Manchester United

Aston Villa's Ashley Young is on the verge of completing a move to Manchester United after undergoing a medical at the club's training complex in Carrington.

The England winger, who has already agreed personal terms with the Premier League champions, travelled north to have his medical examination on Wednesday and is expected to sign for £15 million.

The 25-year-old is believed to have turned down a new contract at Villa Park in favour of a move to Old Trafford and, should the deal be completed, Young will become United's second summer signing following the arrival of defender Phil Jones from Blackburn Rovers in a £16.5 million move.

Sir Alex Ferguson's spending spree is gathering pace, with David de Gea set to join from Atletico Madrid upon returning from the Under-21 European Championships - where he is on duty with Spain.

De Gea Reveals United Admiration

Atletico Madrid goalkeeper David De Gea says he has taken Manchester United's interest in him as a "compliment" and revealed that Old Trafford legends Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar were among his boyhood idols.

De Gea, 20, has been heavily linked with a move to United over the past few months, though no deal has been done yet for the Spanish custodian, who is currently on international duty at the European Under-21 Championship in Denmark.

United have been searching for a new goalkeeper since Van der Sar revealed his intention to retire earlier this year and De Gea remains the firm favourite to replace the Dutchman as the Premier League champions' No. 1.

Despite the constant speculation, the 20-year-old insists he remains solely focused on helping Spain at the Under-21 Championship for now and refused to be drawn on his future.

"I am trying to stay focused on the Euros for now because it's fundamentally important to our hopes that we all think only about that,'' he told AS.

"Manchester United are a great club and if they are interested in you, it's a great compliment, but Atletico are also great.

"I'm just more relaxed if I focus on the Euros. I want my head here, not somewhere else.''

But asked whether he is keen to make a step up in quality, De Gea said: "Everyone wants to do this, you want to carry on learning, improving, this happens in all areas."

He was also happy to talk up the abilities of two former United 'keepers, with the Spaniard revealing that Van der Sar and Schmeichel inspired him when he was growing up.

"Edwin has been playing at 20 years at the highest level; he's a great goalkeeper and a big point of reference for me,'' De Gea said. "(When I was younger) I liked Schmeichel a lot, as well as Van der Sar - they're the two best that I've seen.''

Kagawa in Dortmund Talks

Reported Manchester United target Shinji Kagawa has opened talks over a new deal with Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund.

United have sent scouts to watch Kagawa on a number of occasions but the Japan international, who joined Dortmund from J-League side Cerezo Osaka last summer and is contracted until 2013, is happy to stay in Germany.

"Shinji Kagawa is able to imagine staying on at Borussia Dortmund," the 22-year-old's agent told Bild. "We have even had a first round of talks with Dortmund general manager Michael Zorc with regard to a new contract."

"Shinji is actually contracted to Borussia Dortmund and he likes the club. He is absolutely looking forward to playing in front of the exciting Signal Iduna Park crowd in the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League in the new season."

The attacking midfielder scored eight goals in 17 games last term before a foot injury sustained at the Asian Cup in January saw him sidelined for almost the entire second half of the campaign.

Park Ji-Sung Ponders Man Utd Exit

Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-Sung believes he doesn't have long left at Old Trafford and would consider a move to another club in the next couple of years.

Park, 30, has won the Champions League and four Premier League titles during his six-years at United but does not know how long he has left at the top level.

The South Korean's contract expires at the end of the 2011-12 season and he has recently been linked with a move to La Liga duo Sevilla and Atletico.

Park, who quit international football following the 2011 Asian Cup to help extend his club career, says he has no immediate desire to leave Manchester but would like to play for another club before he retires.

"I won't be able to show my best after one or two years. I don't know how long I can stay at Manchester," Park is quoted as saying in the Daily Mirror. "I never thought about retirement but it's obvious that I don't have much time left as a player."

"According to circumstances, I might leave Manchester United and retire in another team," he added.

Park joined United in a £4 million deal from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in 2005 and has been a huge success in England.