Manchester United are pushing to make Real Madrid star Aurelien Tchouameni one of their highest-paid players this summer, according to reports from Spain.
The 26-year-old France international currently earns around £205,000 per week at the Santiago Bernabeu and would likely demand even more to make the move to Old Trafford.
United have been transformed since Ruben Amorim’s dismissal in January, with Michael Carrick guiding the club to a third-place Premier League finish and Champions League qualification.
The Red Devils have already agreed a £35m deal with Atalanta for Brazilian midfielder Ederson, but further reinforcements are required in the engine room heading into next season.
Manuel Ugarte’s serious knee injury suffered while representing Uruguay against Spain at the World Cup has left Carrick short of options, with the midfielder potentially sidelined for up to a year.
Casemiro’s contract is also set to expire imminently, meaning United face the prospect of heading into a Champions League campaign significantly underpowered at the base of their midfield.
Real Madrid are not desperate to sell Tchouameni, who remains under contract at the Santiago Bernabeu until 2028, but the Spanish club would consider irresistible offers for the defensive midfielder.
Liverpool are among a number of European clubs credited with interest in the £70m-rated midfielder, though significant focus has been placed on Manchester United’s pursuit in the Premier League.
Tchouameni joined Real Madrid from Monaco in a deal rising to £85m back in 2022 and has since been hailed as “the best defensive midfielder in the world” by former teammate Chema Andres.
His statistics stack up favourably against Casemiro’s, with Tchouameni averaging 69.5 touches per 90 minutes this season compared to Casemiro’s 62.6, while completing 92% of his passes against Casemiro’s 81%.
Tchouameni also loses possession far less frequently, surrendering the ball just 6.2 times per 90 minutes compared to Casemiro’s 10.9, underlining his composure and technical reliability in deep midfield positions.
United ranked ninth for passing accuracy in the Premier League last season with 82.9%, and a player of Tchouameni’s quality could significantly raise those standards at Old Trafford.
Casemiro delivered several admirable performances under Carrick and cemented cult status at the club, playing a crucial role in guiding United back into the top four of the Premier League.
At 34 years old, however, Casemiro cannot be expected to sustain those levels, and INEOS appear confident that Tchouameni represents the ideal long-term successor coming directly from Los Blancos.