Manchester United's Pursuit of Aurelien Tchouameni Continues

Manchester United refuse to let the Aurelien Tchouameni dream die, even after the Frenchman tied himself to Real Madrid until 2031.

On paper, the story should be over. In reality, it isn’t.

United keep chasing their “dream” midfielder

Michael Carrick’s squad is already being rebuilt in midfield. Andrey Santos has arrived from Chelsea. Youri Tielemans is on his way after United triggered the £45 million release clause in his Aston Villa contract. Two in, plenty of money spent, and yet the search goes on.

INEOS want a statement signing at the base of midfield. Fabrizio Romano has repeatedly framed Tchouameni as exactly that: the “dream” target for United’s new regime. A 26-year-old defensive midfielder, already one of the best in his position, anchoring France at the 2026 World Cup and collecting trophies in Madrid. He has LaLiga and a Champions League on his CV, a UEFA Nations League title from 2021, and a World Cup runners-up medal from 2022. This summer, he is two games away from possibly adding the 2026 World Cup itself with Les Bleus in the semi-finals.

Players with that profile do not usually become available. Especially not just after signing a long-term extension.

A new contract – but not a closed door

Last week, Romano and other leading reporters revealed that Tchouameni had agreed a new deal at the Bernabeu running to 2031. The reaction was instant: that’s it, saga over, move on.

Andy Mitten isn’t so sure.

Speaking on Talk of the Devils, the well-connected Manchester United journalist relayed what he had been told by a source in Madrid after the contract news broke. The message was blunt: “They could still sell him.”

No nuance. No caveats. Just that line.

Mitten explained that this is not a new dynamic. Real Madrid players have often benefited from United’s interest, leveraging it into improved terms in Spain. Tchouameni, he suggested, has clearly done well out of his renewal. The player, he added, is “perfectly happy in Madrid” – but if that ever changed, he “would be perfectly happy to play for Manchester United.”

The key point sits elsewhere, though: Real Madrid’s own plans.

Madrid’s need to “sell big”

Mitten detailed conversations he had with journalists following the Spanish national team in the United States. One theme kept coming back: Madrid want to buy big, which means they may have to sell big.

So who brings in the kind of fee that funds another galáctico push?

Fede Valverde has been told he is in line to be captain. That status makes him a less likely sacrificial piece, even if Mitten joked that if Valverde ever changes his mind, Old Trafford would welcome him. Eduardo Camavinga, talented and versatile, would not command the same level of fee.

Tchouameni, though, sits in that bracket. Prime age. Elite reputation. Long contract. A player you can build around – or cash in on.

That is why Mitten refused to treat the new deal as a hard full stop. “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.”

A long shot, but not a fantasy

Pressed on the chances of United actually landing Tchouameni, Mitten did not sugar-coat it. “It looks improbable,” he admitted. “I think it always looked improbable.”

The route to a deal is narrow and brutally simple: Real Madrid would have to decide to sell one of their very best players because they need the money. If that decision never comes, United are spectators, nothing more.

Money, as Mitten put it, “dictates a lot of things in football.” That reality keeps the door open a fraction, even for a player fresh from signing until 2031.

United, already reshaping their midfield with Santos and Tielemans, are watching that door. Madrid’s summer ambitions will decide whether it ever swings wide enough for Tchouameni to walk through it and into Carrick’s dressing room.