“Holding the money back for one man”: United legend believes Ineos will go all out to sign superstar midfielder

Manchester United are at risk of finding themselves scrambling for midfielders, having missed out on two of their priority targets. Both Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes were considered to be at the top of United’s midfield shortlist. However, Manchester City broke the British transfer record to land the Nottingham Forest midfielder, and Tottenham Hotspur have now agreed to make Fernandes the most expensive outgoing from a Championship club. Manchester United saving money for Aurelien Tchouameni Manchester United have so far only got their hands on Ederson, having struck an agreement worth around £35 million with Atalanta. The Brazilian is certainly a shrewd acquisition, given his physicality and athleticism. Still, United were expected to provide Michael Carrick with a marquee midfielder as part of the midfield overhaul, and someone like Ederson is unlikely to move the needle. However, club legend Rio Ferdinand is optimistic about United’s transfer business this summer and expects the Red Devils to make a big-money move for one of the best midfielders in Europe.  “I think Man United are holding the money back for one man, and that’s [Aurelien] Tchouameni,” Ferdinand said on X.  “If he becomes available in this market, Man United are not gonna miss – they can’t afford to miss with that one.” Real Madrid willing to sell Aurelien Tchouameni Ferdinand is not mentioning Aurelien Tchouameni‘s name without reason, as the France international has allegedly been on United’s radar for some time now and is considered the “dream” target. Recently, The Peoples Person relayed a report claiming Real Madrid would consider offers for the Frenchman, as a departure in midfield is seen as necessary to make room for Jose Mourinho’s preferred profile. Furthermore, Tchouameni would reportedly like to play for United should Real sanction his departure.  The 26-year-old midfielder, who is enjoying a phenomenal World Cup campaign in North America, is arguably the ideal option to replace Casemiro at Old Trafford, given he has already shown he is capable of doing that at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Vishal Singh Vishal has worked in the football media industry for over six years, planning, writing, and editing content for several major outlets, including North Star Network. Vishal has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Delhi University. Currently a writer at The Peoples Person, he covers Manchester United — a club he has been religiously following and supporting since 2012. Vishal also manages a leading MUFC fan page, The Red Devils, on Facebook with over a million likes. Big fan of ball-playing centre-backs and Harry Maguire’s knee-slide celebration!