Manchester United will be forced to abandon their pursuit of Aurelien Tchouameni after the midfielder reportedly agreed to a contract extension at Real Madrid. The 26-year-old France international has reached an agreement with Jose Mourinho's side on a deal running through to June 2031, according to RMC Sport and The Athletic.
United's midfield search hits another roadblock
The Red Devils have prioritised strengthening in midfield this summer, having revamped their attack 12 months ago with the additions of Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo for a combined fee of around £200 million. A host of high-profile names have been linked as Old Trafford bosses scour the transfer market for reinforcements, with new permanent head coach Michael Carrick playing an active role in internal discussions.
Elliot Anderson was believed to be on United's shortlist after an outstanding season with Nottingham Forest, but the England international turned down interest from the red half of Manchester to complete a switch to City. United have wrapped up a £35 million agreement with Atalanta for Ederson, but it is understood the club are still working to get another central midfielder through the doors before the transfer deadline.
Fernandes and Tonali moves force change of plans
Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali had been high up on United's shortlist of targets, with the two midfielders agitating for moves away from West Ham and Newcastle respectively. However, Tottenham sent out a message of intent by capturing both Fernandes and Tonali in the space of a week, which in turn saw United focus their gaze back on Tchouameni. United officials were said to have held exploratory talks to gauge Real Madrid's stance on selling Tchouameni before the end of the summer transfer window.
Tchouameni's Madrid career
Tchouameni joined Madrid in an £85 million move from Monaco in 2022 and has gone on to make 195 appearances in all competitions for the Spanish giants, helping the club win eight pieces of silverware including La Liga and the Champions League. There were only two years remaining on his previous contract at the Bernabeu. The 26-year-old is currently on international duty with France at the World Cup, four years after picking up a runners-up medal in Qatar. He has started three of Les Bleus' five contests against Senegal, Norway and Sweden and will be desperate to be given the nod for tomorrow's quarter-final showdown with Morocco.
Training ground clashes
Before flying out to the United States with the rest of Didier Deschamps' squad, Tchouameni was involved in a pair of heated training ground clashes with Madrid team-mate Federico Valverde. The second altercation hospitalised Valverde with a head injury, and the pair were both slapped with hefty €500,000 fines.
