As the Red Devils’ pursuit of a marquee Casemiro replacement falters, the French star commits his future to Real Madrid, forcing United to pivot toward alternative midfield targets.
Manchester United have had a disappointing transfer window so far after everything that was reported towards the end of last season.
There were constant reports that the club were in for three midfielders with potentially two marquee signings. Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes were two players the club had chased for months.
However, Anderson went to Manchester City, and Fernandes joined Tottenham Hotspur alongside Sandro Tonali, who was another name on the list.
Éderson and, most recently, Andrey Santos are both players who are pending medicals for moves to Old Trafford, but neither is an out-and-out replacement for Casemiro.
Aurélien Tchouaméni was a player whose future was up in the air and was seen as a 'dream' signing, but now his future has become clear.
Tchouaméni to sign a new Madrid contract
Tchouaméni was seen as the ultimate Casemiro replacement, given that the Frenchman replaced Casemiro at Real Madrid when the Brazilian headed to Old Trafford.
After weeks of speculation with reports saying the club are in talks and the next day saying Tchouaméni is not interested in a deal, his future has become clear.
Fabrice Hawkins of RMC Sport has reported the midfielder is set to sign a new contract at Real Madrid until 2031. The player was always keen to stay at Los Blancos, and now an agreement has been reached.
Fabrizio Romano has added more detail and reported that Manchester United were never close to a deal due to salary demands and that Madrid were not willing to let him go.
it has also been added by Ben Jacobs that Tchouaméni will earn €13 million a season net with his new deal. When taxes are included, this equates to over £400,000 a week – far beyond United’s spending limits.
Where do United go?
After losing out on Anderson, Fernandes, Tonali and now Tchouaméni, there will rightly be a lot of cause for concern. However, there may be a few options that United rightly or wrongly could go for.
If the club still wants a marquee signing, then Adam Wharton or Bruno Guimarães could be options. Both are very different options, with Wharton being a technical defensive midfielder and has been compared to Michael Carrick. Whereas Guimarães is an aggressive and all-action midfielder and more similar to Casemiro.
However, both might be unlikely given the potential fee Crystal Palace might command given the state of the market for Wharton, and Guimarães is potentially more keen on a move to Arsenal.
The Bournemouth duo of Alex Scott and Tyler Adams have been touted with moves to Old Trafford too. Scott is not an out-and-out defensive midfielder, but by all accounts is near the top of the current United shortlist. Adams is seemingly a cheaper alternative and is a traditional defensive midfielder, but his injury record is a cause for concern.
Perhaps moves for players in Europe, whether that is Ayyoub Bouaddi, Angelo Stiller, Lamine Camara or Mamadou Sangare, might be the best value targets for the club.
