Fabrizio Romano says Manchester United absolutely want Aurélien Tchouaméni, but that is where the easy part ends. The club like him as a midfield solution, yet Real Madrid have not opened the door to an exit and his salary is a major obstacle.
Romano's read on the deal
Romano was blunt about United's view of the player. He said they would have chosen Tchouameni as the perfect player to replace Casemiro, and described him as the kind of midfielder United would love to make it happen for.
He also made the obstacle clear. "The problem of this deal is double," Romano told teamtalk.com. "One is that Real Madrid so far are yet to open doors to an exit of Tchouameni, so club-to-club. And then the salary because Aurelien Tchouameni is on a very big salary at Real Madrid, and for Manchester United to match that salary was not part of the plans."
That is the core of the story. United admire the player, but admiration is not the same as leverage, and Madrid's position leaves them starting from a weak negotiating spot.
Madrid's stance and United's wider midfield work
Romano also said United "love Aurelien Tchouameni" and believe he is "one of the best midfielders in the world." He added that Madrid still consider him an important player for present and future.
There is another layer to the midfield picture. United have already struck a deal with Atalanta for Ederson Silva, but the wider midfield rebuild is not being treated as a one-name job. Eduardo Camavinga has been linked as an alternative, although Sport reported he is under contract until 2029 with a €1 billion release clause.
That makes Tchouameni feel like the more realistic of the two Madrid midfield ideas, even if realistic is doing a lot of work there. The salary point alone explains why this sits in the dream-target category rather than the straightforward-deal category.
United's striker planning shows the same pattern of ambition mixed with caution. Victor Osimhen is still their absolute dream target despite the financial hurdle at Galatasaray, while Robert Lewandowski is also in the mix as a free-transfer possibility after his Barcelona contract expiry. Osimhen's output is not the issue, with 22 goals in 33 appearances in 2025-26 and 59 strikes in 74 games overall for Galatasaray.
For now, the Tchouameni chase looks like a serious admiration, not a live breakthrough. United want him, Madrid are not inviting bids, and the wage packet is a problem they were not planning to absorb.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →