Man United inquires about Tchouaméni, told he has agreed to extend with Real Madrid! Camavinga also rejects transfer

Reports emerged this week that Manchester United once again asked about Real Madrid's holding midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni. The 26-year-old France international, currently on vacation following the World Cup, has already consented to a renewal with Real Madrid through 2031, but since it's not yet official, United feel there could be an opportunity.

Manchester United's owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has always regarded Tchouaméni as an ideal target. His age of 26 fits the club's preferred age range of 22 to 26, and he is a defensive midfielder, exactly the type needed by Carrick's team. The new signings for the Red Devils, André Santos and Youri Tielemans, are both box-to-box midfielders.

At Real Madrid, Tchouaméni replaced Casemiro, who had left for Manchester United. Now "Fat Tiger" has officially announced a free transfer to Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, donning the number 5 jersey. The Red Devils dream of Tchouaméni joining to once again serve as his successor. In 2021, Manchester United had a chance to sign Tchouaméni from Monaco but lacked the funds.

It is understood that Manchester United's approach for Tchouaméni did indeed happen, with the club having communicated with Real Madrid in recent days. Sources say the move was merely to confirm whether Tchouaméni had renewed his contract and whether a transfer was already impossible. Another potential target linked to United is French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga. However, neither player will leave the Bernabéu.

Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano said: "Folks, I've told you many times that Manchester United internally consider Tchouaméni as a dream midfield signing, the perfect midfield signing. He is a leader, an elite player, an international-level defensive midfielder, the ideal successor to Casemiro. But my understanding is that Tchouaméni has already renewed with Real Madrid, so it's all settled. Mourinho sees him as a truly important player, and he is the one pushing for him to stay. So, it seems Tchouaméni will continue at Real Madrid."

According to relevant sources, Tchouaméni's new contract at Real Madrid is worth up to £400,000 per week. Therefore, for Manchester United to sign him, they would need not only a transfer fee exceeding £100 million but also to break their wage structure. Even then, the appeal might not be enough, and Tchouaméni is unlikely to consider leaving the Bernabéu.

Not only him, but Camavinga also rejected a transfer. Romano said: "Camavinga wants to play under Mourinho, so he is determined to stay. Manchester United discussed with his agent, but the player told them he wants to remain at Real Madrid."

According to reports, the reason Manchester United oddly inquired about Tchouaméni's situation may be based on three major factors. First, after signing Tielemans and Santos, the acquisition of a third midfielder has stalled. The team is analyzing the market situation and therefore wants to confirm Tchouaméni's contract status. Perhaps Real Madrid could suddenly decide to sell? United believes that if Real Madrid decides to sell Tchouaméni, it would only happen late in the summer window, so they may continue to wait and see for a while.

Mourinho made it clear that he wants to keep Tchouaméni and extend his contract for five years. At the same time, Real Madrid officially announced they have no intention of signing Chelsea's Enzo Fernández, which seems to confirm that Tchouaméni will be valued by the new coach. However, another rumor now gives the Red Devils hope: after the World Cup, Manchester City midfielder Rodri is once again rumored to possibly join Real Madrid.

Rodri won the World Cup Golden Ball, and he has never hidden his dream of transferring to the "Galácticos." Moreover, his contract with Manchester City has only one year left, and renewal negotiations have not progressed. If Real Madrid signs him this summer, Tchouaméni's position would be affected, potentially changing his decision to stay.

As for the verbal agreement between Tchouaméni and Real Madrid on a renewal, Manchester United sees this as no problem. After all, the club itself has torn up contract offers in the past. During Ten Hag's tenure, they withdrew a new contract offer of £200,000 per week for De Gea, forcing him to leave, and signed André Onana from Inter Milan for €50 million.

For now, though, a deal for Manchester United to sign Tchouaméni this summer still seems very unlikely. But since the transfer department has not had much to do recently, Ratcliffe arranged for them to make an inquiry. This not only keeps them prepared but also gives British media and fans some talking points and entertainment. United has always loved orchestrating transfer dramas; back then, they chased Frenkie de Jong for three months even though they knew he didn't want to leave Barcelona. This time, United told Real Madrid that if they change their mind about selling Tchouaméni, they should notify them immediately.