Bayern Munich were unwilling to fork out €5 million (£4.5m) for Raphael Varane while he was on the books of Lens, according to Willy Sagnol, who was powerless to prevent Real Madrid from stealing the centre-back's signature.
Varane emerged as one of the brightest young talents in European football during his time at Lens, attracting the attention of Jose Mourinho at Santiago Bernabeu in the process.
The Portuguese manager managed to lure the Frenchman to Madrid in the summer of 2011, and Varane committed to a six-year contract with the club at the tender age of 18.