Fabrizio Romano says Aurélien Tchouaméni has already signed a new Real Madrid contract, while Manchester United have still enquired about him. Romano's line is blunt: the new deal is signed and, in his words, “everything is done”. United's interest has not gone away, but the update points much more towards a check-in than a chase.

Romano's contract update

Romano's strongest line came through clearly on the issue of the contract. He said Tchouaméni had already signed the new deal, and that there was no real mystery left around it. A separate report still noted that United had enquired and that there had been no formal announcement of any extension, so the public picture is not fully settled.

That said, the reporting leans in one direction. Romano's version is not tentative, and the wording “everything is done” leaves little room for a late twist. On that basis, the cleaner read is that Real Madrid are treating him as part of the plan, not a player drifting towards the exit.

United's midfield search

United's interest makes sense because they want a third midfielder and view Tchouaméni as the perfect next No.6 after Casemiro. Samuel Luckhurst also reported that he fits United's preferred age profile of 22-26 and is an outright No.6, which explains why his name keeps coming back into the conversation.

The club's recent league form is not a sign of panic either. Manchester United have gone WWDWW in their last five league games, and they finished 3rd in the Premier League with 71 points from 38 matches. That gives the recruitment team room to keep probing, including on Eduardo Camavinga, without needing to force a deal on Madrid's terms.

But the Madrid side of the story is still stronger. Real are 2nd in La Liga with 86 points from 38 matches and have gone WWLWW in their recent league run, which is not the profile of a club likely to weaken a key midfield area. Romano also described Tchouaméni as a really important player for Jose Mourinho, and that is the part of the story United have to work around.

The enquiry is real. The route to a summer move does not look like one.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →