Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester United must prioritise signing Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni after missing out on Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson, who is set to join Manchester City for £116 million.
United's Midfield Targets
Manchester United have made midfield reinforcement a priority this summer. They have already agreed a £35 million deal for Atalanta's Ederson, but manager Michael Carrick wants another midfielder. Targets included Anderson and Mateus Fernandes, but Anderson is expected to move to City after their bid was accepted, and Tottenham are confident of signing Fernandes from West Ham.
Ferdinand's Tchouameni Plea
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ferdinand urged United to act quickly for Tchouameni, who could be sold by Real Madrid for £70 million to fund new signings under Jose Mourinho. 'My biggest thing about it is are United going to get Tchouameni? Because I keep seeing that talked about, and he'd be one of the first midfielders on my list if we had a possibility of getting someone to replace Casemiro. Tchouameni would be that guy,' Ferdinand said.
He added: 'If Tchouameni has a half a sniff of getting out of that club, Man Utd have to be the first team at the door knocking and make sure he can't even talk to anybody else. Get him signed, sealed, delivered.' Ferdinand also issued a personal plea: 'Looking down the lens right now at you, there's only one club for you, man. If you're looking to leave Real Madrid, we are the club. Man Utd are the club. If you want to make it happen, make the call.'
Other Targets and Expert Views
United are also interested in Bournemouth's Alex Scott, valued at £60 million, and have considered Sandro Tonali. Former United defender Gary Pallister told Metro that Tonali would be 'ideal' for Carrick's side. 'Tonali would be an ideal signing. He's a player you can see doing well for Manchester United but it will be difficult to prise him away from Newcastle. Arsenal and Tottenham both want him but I have a suspicion that United could still get it over the line. He is a proven Premier League player and that counts for a lot,' Pallister said.
Tchouameni, 26, started for France in their World Cup opener against Senegal and has been a key player for Real Madrid, but his future is uncertain after a fight with Federico Valverde last season.
