​Manchester United have once again fallen short in their midfield pursuit as Aurelien Tchouameni looks set to sign a fresh deal with Real Madrid, according to a trustworthy French journalist. While Elliot Anderson had been the leading candidate to replace Casemiro this summer, INEOS were forced to pivot toward Matheus Fernandes after being priced out of the race by Manchester City. The fact that Nottingham Forest managed to extract £116 million from City gave some justification for that decision, even though it remains a painful blow given how bright a talent Anderson is.
Yet United’s leadership faced a repeat scenario when Tottenham Hotspur later engineered a similar deal for Fernandes, hijacking a club-record £85 million bid to West Ham United. This development has left the Red Devils scrambling for alternatives, culminating in a hastily agreed £50 million deal to sign Andrey Santos from Chelsea. The 22-year-old Brazilian has long been on United’s radar, and insiders at Old Trafford believe the price represents excellent value for a player with long-term potential.
Earlier, a £39 million agreement with Atalanta for their 26-year-old Brazil international, Ederson, was struck, with official confirmation anticipated later in the week following a medical. Yet amid all these twists in the effort to reinvigorate Michael Carrick’s stalling engine room, Tchouameni has consistently been viewed as the “perfect signing” for United, as Fabrizio Romano has noted. There was at least quiet optimism that a dramatic breakthrough could occur for the France international, given Real Madrid’s desire to inject more creativity and control into their midfield at the behest of Jose Mourinho’s preferred blueprint.
To fund a pursuit of a high-profile target like Rodri or Enzo Fernandez, Madrid would need to offload another asset, and Tchouameni stood out as the most lucrative potential departure. United have held exploratory talks with the 26-year-old’s camp, believing he might be receptive to a move to Old Trafford if Madrid signaled he had no future at the Santiago Bernabeu. This had led to reports that a contract offer had been prepared, potentially including a record-breaking package.
That flicker of hope has now been extinguished, however, with RMC Sport’s Fabrice Hawkins reporting that Tchouameni is “set to extend” his contract in Madrid. The translated tweet reads: “Exclusive: Aurélien Tchouaméni is set to extend his contract with Real Madrid. Agreement reached between the Madrid club and the French international. @RMCsport.” There is a sense that there is an agreement between the player and the club, with his existing deal running until 2028. The sense that both Tchouameni and Madrid were happy to continue their working relationship was well known, particularly since the French midfielder fits the kind of rugged midfielder Mourinho appreciates.
Nevertheless, this outcome raises questions about United’s continuing interest, especially from an SEO and narrative standpoint, as the pursuit of a marquee midfield signing appears to have once again hit a roadblock. For now, Tchouameni’s renewed deal in Madrid narrows United’s options, leaving them to reassess alternatives and potentially shift focus to other targets or to reinforce the squad in different departments. The saga underscores the complexity of modern transfer markets, where rival clubs’ willingness to invest colossal sums can quickly reshape the probabilities and force managers to recalibrate their plans, even when a preferred target seemed within reach.