CL-winning midfield warrior would be perfectly happy to play for United, INEOS handed huge opportunity

Manchester United’s plans to strengthen their midfield this summer have not exactly unfolded as fans would have wanted. Having lost Casemiro at the end of last season, the Red Devils were expected to invest heavily in a world-class replacement, but that has yet to materialise. INEOS have seen Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes, two of their top targets, join Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur respectively. United, meanwhile, have signed the relatively unproven Andrey Santos from Chelsea. The Red Devils pulled out after agreeing a deal for Atalanta’s Ederson, while recent reports suggest they are close to securing the signature of Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans. However, a midfield enforcer remains an urgent requirement, which is why they were heavily linked with Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni earlier this summer. The Frenchman is among the finest in his position in the world and has long been admired by the English giants. However, a recent report suggests that the 26 year old is set to pour cold water on United’s plans and sign a new deal with Los Blancos. Journalist Andy Mitten has now provided an insight into the matter which could please fans. Door not closed on United’s pursuit of Tchouameni Speaking on The Athletic’s Talk of the Devils podcast, Mitten insisted that the door is not entirely closed on Tchouameni’s possible move to Old Trafford. He said: “It sounds like he is, but when I spoke to somebody in Madrid after he had signed the contract, let me just read the text back – ‘They could still sell him’.” “So, there you go. ‘They could still him. I will try to find out’. So, the player has obviously done well out of this. This isn’t the first time that this has happened, where a Real Madrid player has benefitted from Manchester United’s interest.” “Look, Utd were interested in him, as you would be, because he’s very good. As I have said on this podcast several times, the player’s perfectly happy in Madrid. If that situation changes, he would be perfectly happy to play for Manchester United.” Aurelien Tchouameni Stats: 2025/26 Season CompetitionAppearancesStartsGoalsAssistsYellow CardsRed CardsMinutes Played La Liga33311-8-2,623′ UEFA Champions League1313113-1,125′ Supercopa22—-180′ Copa del Rey10-1–13′ Total49462211-3,941′ Source: Transfermarkt. A recent report relayed by The Peoples Person states that United submitted a €120 million offer for Tchouameni last week, but it was turned down by Real Madrid. Real Madrid eyeing massive summer investment Mitten went on to add that Real Madrid are planning to invest heavily in the squad, so they may have to turn to player sales to fund their summer activity. He continued: “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, they, one of the points put to me was Real Madrid want to buy big, so they need to sell big.” “So, who do they sell who they can get big money for? Fede Valverde has been told that he’s going to be captain. If you don’t want to be, mate, you can come to Old Trafford as well. There’s no issue there. Camavinga wouldn’t bring in as much money.” “So, that is a situation, so him signing a contract. I saw it sort of going off like a light – that’s it, Manchester United won’t be signing him. I wasn’t quite so sure that you can write off any deal until the transfer window has closed.” When asked about the possibility of the Frenchman arriving at Old Trafford, Mitten gave a practical response, concluding: “It looks improbable. I think it always looked improbable. I think the chance comes if Real Madrid decide that they want to sell one of their very best players because they need money, and money dictates a lot of things in football.” Final Thoughts Tchouameni’s potential arrival at the Theatre of Dreams could instantly transform United into title challengers. However, one does wonder whether Real Madrid would allow one of their most important players to leave the Santiago Bernabeu this summer. Featured image Dan Mullan via Getty Images 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 Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.