Wes Brown has urged Manchester United to sign Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane this summer.
The Red Devils are in desperate need of a commanding centre-half after leaking 35 league goals so far this season.
And despite reportedly having two bids rejected for Napoli rock Kalidou Koulibaly last month, Brown, who won five Premier League titles with United, thinks the club should make Varane their prime transfer target.
The 25-year-old starred for France as they won the 2018 World Cup and is considered one of the best defenders in the world.
Brown told https://your-promotional-code.co.uk: “The dream defender for United would be Rafael Varane.
“He would cost a lot and it would need to be the right fit for United.
“It’s difficult to say as United have a lot of defenders to choose from, and [interim boss Ole Gunnar] Solskjaer will want players to justify their positions on the pitch.”
Varane had been linked with a move to Old Trafford during Jose Mourinho’s tenure.
His potential arrival could see him partner Victor Lindelof, who has thrived under Solskjaer’s guidance.
Brown, who made 361 United appearances between 1996 and 2011, said: “Lindelof has started to understand what it takes in English football.
“It was similar to [Nemanja] Vidic adapting to the English game.
“It’s difficult and different adjusting to the league, and moving to a new country. It’s quicker and stronger in certain areas and sometimes it takes time to adjust.
“I never thought he was bad, but he’s started to understand more and taken everything in, you can now see the class coming out.
“It’s a shame United haven’t been able to find a regular centre-back partnership due to injuries. There’s not been a partnership you can say has taken off yet, where you can see it stick.
“Solksjaer will try to find out who is the best partnership and the defenders will all be fighting for places, which is good for the team.”