Telegraph drop seismic bomb: Man Utd plotting move for £65m Real Madrid star

Manchester United are reportedly tracking Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who could be their Casemiro replacement.Curiously, the Rouen native arrived in the Spanish capital in the summer of 2022, effectively filling in for Casemiro, who was sold to the Red Devils at the time.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL STRETTY NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES & BREAKING NEWS – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYThe Frenchman has been a worthy heir to the Brazilian legend at the Santiago Bernabeu, already helping the Spanish giants win eight trophies. His exploits at Madrid may have given Man Utd an idea, as they search the market for Casemiro’s successor.Man United keeping close tabs on Aurelien TchouameniWith Casemiro’s departure already confirmed, and Manue Ugarte considered available on the market, United need to sign at least two new midfielders.They have been eyeing Premier League-proven talent, but Elliot Anderson is considered closer to Manchester City at this stage, while Adam Wharton has been deemed a bit too similar to Kobbie Mainoo, forcing Jason Wilcox and Christopher Vivell to look elsewhere.According to the Telegraph journalist James Ducker, MUFC are following Tchouameni, considering him the right profile to inherit the No.6 role from Casemiro.The French international is 26, thus expected to hit his prime. With his contract expiring in June 2028, his market value dropped compared to previous campaigns. Transfermarkt estimates it at €75 million (£65m). Nevertheless, with the midfielder expected to play a key role for France in the World Cup, his price tag could soar in the summer.Moreover, the source insists that Real Madrid would only consider offloading Tchouameni if they manage to sign a direct replacement.Club president Florentino Perez has been eyeing a move for Rodri, who is currently running on an expiring contract, but Man City are still trying to convince the Ballon d’Or winner to stay.Why Tchoumeni is exactly what Man Utd need in midfieldWhile the club directors are more inclined to recruit EPL-proven players to limit the risks, Tchouameni would be an almost ‘guaranteed’ signing.The 26-year-old already has four years of experience at the biggest stage, and he hasn’t even reached the height of his powers just yet. Percentiles Duel% Poss won Prog carries Fwd passes Fwd pass% Key passes Prog passes Minutes Aurelien Tchouameni 97.4 67.9 24.4 95.3 98.3 33.3 87.1 2470 Elliot Anderson 62.0 89.8 52.4 94.1 74.3 59.5 95.8 3240 Sandro Tonali 68.8 44.8 69.9 71.6 40.3 43.1 66.9 2374 Adam Wharton 71.5 59.9 26.5 69.0 31.0 88.7 90.7 2389 (Stats via DataMB)As portrayed by the table above, Tchouameni is an absolute beast in the middle of the park, winning more than 97% of his duels.Anderson might be more formidable when it comes to winning back possession, while Sandro Tonali excels at carrying the ball forward, and Wharton is a top-class distributor.Nevertheless, the Frenchman is the closest thing MUFC would get to a holding midfielder who is comfortable sitting deep and shielding the backline, and he’s certainly no slouch in distribution either.Tchouameni has been linked with Man Utd before, but this is probably the first time the rumours are confirmed by a prominent British source, so it remains to be seen if this track will heat up in the coming weeks.