Aurelien Tchouameni: Man United ready to exploit Real Madrid’s plan | OneFootball

Manchester United are reportedly keeping close tabs on Aurelien Tchouameni as the 26-year-old midfielder’s future at Real Madrid grows increasingly uncertain.

Midfield Rebuild

The Red Devils are prioritising the signing of a successor to Casemiro this summer after INEOS decided against renewing his expiring contract.

The Brazilian has enjoyed a resurgent campaign, despite turning 34 last month and United’s performances, with and without him on the pitch, have been night and day.

Manuel Ugarte has proved incapable of deputising for the former Real Madrid star, and the 24-year-old Uruguayan is expected to be on the chopping block at the end of the season.

Kobbie Mainoo has enjoyed a return to the fold under Michael Carrick after being frozen out by Ruben Amorim. However, the 20-year-old remains a work in progress, and United’s fixture schedule will grow next season with a return to European football on the horizon.

Consequently, the club will invest the bulk of their summer war chest in a new defensive midfielder, with another number eight also on the radar to rotate with Mainoo.

United’s first-choice target is Elliot Anderson, though competition from Manchester City will prove fierce for the Nottingham Forest and England star. Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace) and Carlos Baleba (Brighton & Hove Albion) also feature highly on the club’s radar.

However, Andy Mitten (The Athletic) reveals United have a number of “eyebrow-raising” targets in Spain under consideration as INEOS cast a wide net for Casemiro’s long-term replacement.

And this has now been corroborated by Flash Score, who report Tchouameni is “among the names United would consider as part of the midfield upgrade programme set to take place this summer.”

Madrid’s Monster

Tchouameni was a target at Old Trafford in the summer of 2022 before Madrid struck a €100m deal with AS Monaco to bring him to the Santiago Bernabeu to replace, ironically, Casemiro.

The France international has gone on to win LaLiga, the Copa del Rey, the Champions League and the Club World Cup in the Spanish capital, while establishing himself as a key player for Les Bleus.

However, Flash Score reveals Madrid are considering making a “major signing in central midfield” this summer, with a growing sense they have failed to properly replace Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.

Tchouameni offers a potent pairing of speed, size and strength in the centre of the pitch. However, he lacks the guile and progression skills of his predecessors – an issue exacerbated by the other Madrid midfielders offering a similar profile.

As such, it is understood the Frenchman could be sold to pave the way for a deep-lying playmaker, with Manchester City maestro Rodri continuing to be linked with a blockbuster switch.

United’s admiration for Tchouameni has not wavered since their initial interest four years ago, as INEOS keep a “close watch on Spain” for options to bolster their stalling engine room.

Final Thoughts

United undoubtedly need two midfielders this summer, with a defensive monster required to effectively fill the void Casemiro’s departure will create. Crucially, this new recruit must also offer the same aerial domination he provides – a strength of the imposing 6’2″ Tchouameni.

If the Red Devils could convince the French powerhouse to swap Madrid for Manchester, as Casemiro did four years prior, it would prove a transformational signing alongside a deep-lying playmaker in the mould of, for example, Wharton.

While Casemiro was an outstanding midfielder at the peak of his powers when he was signed, he was approaching the tail end of a glittering career. Tchouameni is yet to enter his best years, with United hoping they will come at the Theatre of Dreams.

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