Manchester United's Pursuit of Aurélien Tchouameni Continues
Manchester United refuse to give up on Aurélien Tchouameni – even after the Real Madrid midfielder committed his future to the European champions.
Michael Carrick has already seen two major midfield pieces fall into place. Andrey Santos has arrived from Chelsea, while United have activated the £45 million release clause in Youri Tielemans’ Aston Villa contract. The rebuild in the middle of the pitch is well under way.
Yet the message from Old Trafford is clear: they still want one more. A top-tier defensive midfielder. The one INEOS have long viewed as the ideal anchor.
That name is Tchouameni.
A dream target who just signed until 2031
The France international has been on United’s radar for years, with Fabrizio Romano repeatedly describing him as the “dream” signing for the club’s new co-owners. At 26, Tchouameni is in his prime, one of the standout holding midfielders in the world and a pillar of a France side pushing for glory at the 2026 World Cup.
His CV already reads like a completed career. LaLiga title? Won. Champions League? Won. UEFA Nations League with France? Won in 2021. A World Cup final in 2022 and now another deep run, with Les Bleus into the semi-finals this summer.
Last week, the story seemed to close. Reports from Romano and other leading journalists confirmed Tchouameni had agreed a new deal at the Bernabéu, tying him to Real Madrid until 2031. For many, that was the end of any Manchester United dream.
Except it might not be.
“They could still sell him”
Andy Mitten, a well-connected and respected reporter on all things United, has poured just enough fuel back onto the fire to keep it burning.
Speaking on Talk of the Devils, Mitten revealed a message he received from a contact in Madrid after the contract news broke.
“Let me just read the text back – ‘They could still sell him’,” he said. “So, there you go. ‘They could still sell him. I will try to find out’.”
The line is simple, but it changes the temperature of the whole saga. A new long-term contract usually signals a firm “hands off”. In this case, it might simply protect Madrid’s position if they decide to cash in.
Mitten underlined that Tchouameni is “perfectly happy” in the Spanish capital. The player has benefited from the situation, as so many Real Madrid stars have when Manchester United interest surfaces. But he also added that if the circumstances changed, Tchouameni “would be perfectly happy to play for Manchester United.”
That nuance matters. The door is not wide open. It is not even ajar. Yet it is not bolted shut either.
Madrid’s need to “sell big”
The real intrigue lies not with the player, but with Madrid’s broader strategy.
“When I did some calls last week to Madrid, or actually it was the US because that’s where the journalists are covering the Spanish national team,” Mitten explained, “one of the points put to me was Real Madrid want to buy big, so they need to sell big.”
That is the crux. Real Madrid, as ever, are hunting at the very top of the market. To keep doing that, they must generate serious funds. So the question inside the Bernabéu becomes brutally simple: who brings in the biggest fee?
Fede Valverde has been told he is in line to be captain. A status that usually protects a player. Mitten even joked that if Valverde did not fancy the armband, Old Trafford would welcome him without complaint.
Eduardo Camavinga, talented as he is, would not command the same level of money. Tchouameni, with his age, profile and contract running to 2031, very much would.
That is why Mitten refused to rule anything out purely on the basis of a new deal.
“I saw it sort of going off like a light – that’s it, Manchester United won’t be signing him,” he said. “I wasn’t quite so sure that you can write off any deal until the transfer window has closed.”
An improbable chase that won’t die
Pressed on the chances of United landing Tchouameni, Mitten did not dress it up.
“It looks improbable,” he admitted. “I think it always looked improbable.”
The path is narrow. United would need Madrid to make a hard business decision: sacrifice one of their best players to fund another major move. Only then does the conversation truly begin.
“I think the chance comes if Real Madrid decide that they want to sell one of their very best players because they need money,” Mitten added, “and money dictates a lot of things in football.”
For now, Carrick has Santos and Tielemans, and a midfield that is already taking on a new shape. But the hierarchy at Old Trafford have made no secret of their ambition to install an elite shield in front of the defence.
Tchouameni remains the fantasy. Madrid hold the cards. The new contract locks in the price, not necessarily the player.
If Real decide they really do need to “sell big”, will United be ready – and willing – to pay what it takes?
