Manchester United have contacted the agents of Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni as their summer midfield rebuild takes another twist.
Man United quickly agreed a deal with Atalanta worth under £40m to sign Ederson even before the transfer window officially opened, with the player expected to complete his move to Old Trafford when he returns from representing Brazil at the 2026 World Cup.
The Brazilian is the first piece of the jigsaw puzzle as the Red Devils look to transform their midfield, and there could be two more additions to come should Manuel Ugarte join Casemiro in leaving Old Trafford this summer.
Having failed to make any progress with a move to sign top target Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, with the England international looking destined to join rivals Manchester City instead, club chiefs turned their attentions to West Ham United's Mateus Fernandes following the London outfit's relegation to the Championship.
United considered the 21-year-old a target anyway, but there is more of a chance of prising him away from the Hammers given the player has no intention of playing in the Championship.
Agreeing a fee with West Ham will likely prove the most difficult hurdle though, given they are staying strong on their £85m valuation.
Man United Tell Tchouameni Agent They Want to Sign Him
Aurelien Tchouameni
Aurelien Tchouameni
via Reuters
With no breakthrough in talks to sign Fernandes yet, United officials are now said to have made contact with the agent of Tchouameni.
Fabrizio Romano has already made it clear that the club see the France international as their 'dream' midfield transfer target, above all others.
The 26-year-old is seen as the perfect replacement for Casemiro, who leaves a huge void in the United engine room after leaving the club following the expiry of his contract.
According to Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari, Real are open to selling the 26-year-old star this summer following the appointment of Jose Mourinho, even though the player himself would like to stay.
United chiefs have expressed strong interest in signing the Frenchman to the player's agents.
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Tchouameni Would be Statement Signing for United
Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde
Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde
via Reuters
He may have had a public bust-up with teammate Federico Valverde on the Real Madrid training ground, which saw both players fined €500,000, but there is no doubting his quality.
His former teammate Chema Andres has described him as the 'best DM in the world', and there aren't many better options on the globe in that position than Tchouameni.
During his four years at the Bernabeu, the 26-year-old has won the Champions League and La Liga, making 195 appearances along the way.
Tchouameni is ideal for United's midfield as he is happy to sit and screen the defence, which will give someone like Kobbie Mainoo more freedom to make a difference further forward.
The France international is also physically dominant and powerful, with elite-level defensive anticipation that helps him snuff out any danger.
His tackling success and defensive duel wins also consistently rank among the best in Europe, which only further enhance his reputation as being one of the top defensive midfielders on the globe.