Manchester United are now moving towards new midfield targets, as Aurelien Tchouameni climbs his way up the shortlist.
While the transfer market has only just begun, the Red Devils have already been dealt a couple of painful blows, with Elliot Anderson signing for Manchester City on a £116 million deal, and Matheus Fernandes joining Tottenham for £85 million.
Man Utd haven’t only missed out on two main targets, but could also be forced to overpay for midfielders, as these two deals have inflated the market.
Aurelien Tchouameni & Alex Scott are the new priorities for Man United
After failing to land their original top targets, United are now fixated on new profiles. The aim is to sign another two midfielders alongside Ederson, whose arrival is all but guaranteed.
According to Sky Sports, Jason Wilcox and Co. have drawn up a five-man shortlist, headed by Tchouameni and Scott.
The French international is a key player for Les Bleus, with Didier Deschamps relying on him to shield the backline and push the ball forward.
However, the 26-year-old’s future at Real Madrid is far from certain, especially following the infamous training-ground brawl that sent Federico Valverde to the hospital.
But as the source explains, Los Merengues might prefer to keep Tchouameni at the Santiago Bernabeu and instead offload his compatriot, Eduardo Camavinga.
| Percentiles | Duel% | Poss won | Prog carries | Fwd passes | Fwd pass% | Key passes | Prog passes | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Aurelien Tchouameni
|
97.2 | 76.6 | 27.6 | 95.8 | 98.9 | 33.3 | 89.3 | 2854 |
|
Alex Scott
|
66.9 | 78.2 | 71.0 | 34.5 | 18.8 | 35.2 | 29.2 | 3143 |
|
Felix Nmecha
|
58.5 | 33.6 | 71.7 | 43.8 | 53.2 | 62.0 | 47.2 | 2360 |
|
Sander Berge
|
80.6 | 43.3 | 64.4 | 65.1 | 85.0 | 39.4 | 51.4 | 3213 |
|
Ayyoub Bouaddi
|
76.2 | 80.8 | 58.3 | 44.5 | 58.1 | 37.0 | 45.1 | 2531 |
(Stats via DataMB)
Likewise, Bournemouth ideally wish to keep Scott for at least another year and extend his contract. Therefore, it might require a truly irresistible offer (perhaps in the region of £80 million) to sway the Cherries.
The alternative candidates mentioned by Sky are Borussia Dortmund’s Felix Nmecha, Fulham’s Sander Berge, and LOSC Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi.
Who would be the most suitable profiles for Man Utd
Having already replaced Casemiro at Real Madrid in 2022, Tchouameni is arguably the perfect profile to fill the void left by the Brazilian.
However, the 26-year-old’s arrival almost entirely hinges on the Spanish giants, who have yet to consider a sale.
For his part, Scott is a dynamic box-to-box midfielder capable of adding depth to the middle of the park, but for £80 million, one would think that United should be able to find themselves a more accomplished profile.
Nmecha would be a significantly more exciting arrival, especially after showing flashes of brilliance in Germany’s short World Cup trip, but BVB are reportedly seeking €100 million. As for Berge, he would be a fallback solution should INEOS fail to sway their other targets.
Based on his World Cup heroics, the insanely talented Bouaddi might be the dream signing for Man Utd. At the tender age of 18, the Moroccan is showing tactical maturity and composure well beyond his age.
But the issue lies with the ever-growing interest in his services, as half of Europe is queuing to poach him this summer.
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