Real Madrid are reportedly open to selling Aurélien Tchouaméni, putting Manchester United on red alert as the Red Devils weigh a move for their leading midfield target in 2027.
The France international stayed at the Santiago Bernabéu beyond the summer transfer window despite heavy speculation linking him with Old Trafford, but according to the latest reports from Spain, Los Blancos would still sanction his departure if the right offer arrives.
Picon: Madrid will sell for “a good offer”
Journalist Jorge Picon, speaking on Iñaki Angulo’s YouTube channel, claims Real Madrid remain open to parting ways with Tchouaméni, with the club prepared to sell if “a good offer” lands on the table.
Picon adds that Madrid would rather sell Tchouaméni than fellow France midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, and that the club’s failed pursuit of Rodri — who instead joined Barcelona — was allegedly the main reason the 26-year-old stayed in the Spanish capital this season.
According to Sports Mole, Tchouaméni himself was thought to be open to a departure over the summer, and the door appears to have been left ajar rather than shut completely.
A deal that never died
Tchouaméni’s contract situation adds intrigue to the story. Real Madrid are believed to have agreed the basis of a new deal tying him to the club until the summer of 2031, but with no formal confirmation, his current terms still officially expire in 2028 — a timeline that naturally invites speculation.
The midfielder, who arrived from Monaco for an initial fee of around €80 million, has made four appearances for José Mourinho’s side this season after recovering from a muscular problem that sidelined him early in the campaign.
TNT Sports’ Paper Round previously reported that United’s interest in Tchouaméni was “strong” over the summer, with the Red Devils enquiring about a player valued at around £68 million and shortlisted as a possible Casemiro successor.
Why United still want him
United’s midfield rebuild is far from finished. The club signed three new midfielders in the summer — Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba — with the latter potentially in line to make his debut in Saturday’s Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur.
Kobbie Mainoo remains the fourth midfield option, while Manuel Ugarte is likely to leave next summer once he has recovered from a long-term knee injury, leaving a clear gap for a specialist defensive midfielder.
Tchouaméni, with Champions League pedigree and a World Cup final appearance on his résumé, fits the profile United’s recruitment team has been chasing — and his availability, even conditionally, is exactly the kind of opening the Old Trafford hierarchy has been waiting for. The club’s wider rebuild continues apace, with Dalot among those linked with an Old Trafford exit as the squad is reshaped.
At Madrid, meanwhile, the midfield pecking order is crowded. Bernardo Silva is already competing for minutes under Mourinho, while Camavinga and Federico Valverde remain central to the club’s plans — leaving Tchouaméni’s long-term role anything but guaranteed.
Beyond the Final Whistle: United’s pursuit of Tchouaméni never truly ended, and Real Madrid’s willingness to talk keeps this saga alive. If a serious offer arrives, the Frenchman could finally be heading to Old Trafford — but would he be the final piece of United’s midfield rebuild?
