“There has been a verbal agreement” – ESPN journalist reveals Man Utd still tracking Real Madrid duo

Manchester United remain interested in Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga, whose futures at Real Madrid remain shrouded in mystery.

After losing the services of Casemiro, who joined Inter Miami on a free transfer, and Manuel Ugarte, who could miss the bulk of the campaign with an ACL tear, the Red Devils were forced to rebuild their midfield.

Last month, Man Utd purchased Andrey Santos from Chelsea on a deal worth £48 million and then activated Youri Tielemans’ £35 million release clause to lure him from Aston Villa. However, it remains unclear whether or not the club will buy a third midfielder.

Man Utd following Aurelien Tchouameni & Eduardo Camavinga

Over the past few weeks, several sources in the English media insisted that Tchouameni is a serious target for Man Utd.

The 26-year-old is a holding midfielder who combines strength with the ability to distribute the ball. Many have identified Tchouameni as the ‘perfect’ profile to replace Casemiro, as he did when the latter left Madrid four years ago.

On the other hand, Camavinga is originally a dynamic midfielder, but during his time at Los Blancos, he demonstrated an ability to cover various positions, including left-back, which United also plan to address this summer.

During his appearance on The United Stand, Rob Dawson confirmed that the two Real Madrid stars are both on MUFC’s watchlist, as they’re ready to pounce on the opportunity should the Spanish giants decide to cash in on either player.

“United were told before the summer that Real Madrid were going to look to try and get a few players out the door,” said the ESPN journalist.

“As far as I know, Camavinga was offered to Premier League clubs by intermediaries just to gauge interest.

“The Tchouameni one is a little bit of a different of a situation, obviously there is that contract situation which is a little bit strange, our guys in Spain think there has been a verbal agreement there but it’s not been announced, so until it gets announced, you never know.

However, Dawson insists that several factors must align for United to decide to proceed, especially the players’ will to join and their salary demands, as INEOS remain adamant about reducing their wage bill.

“You have to be sure that they want to play for Man United, that they want to leave Real Madrid and they’re not just being forced out; you have to make sure that they fit into your wage structure!

“There are a lot of things which have to fall in place for that type of deal to come about.”

Are Tchouameni & Camavinga realistic targets for Man United?

At the start of the summer, some sources were backing Man Utd to spend up to £200 million on their midfield revamp, similar to last season’s attacking reboot.

However, it is becoming increasingly evident by the day that the club is operating on a tighter budget, with the club directors averting any bidding wars and allowing their rivals to sign the players they had identified as top targets, like Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes.

In addition to the transfer fee, INEOS have refused to succumb to the players’ salary requests if deemed excessive.

And with Spanish sources insisting that Tchouameni has an agreement in principle with Real Madrid on a new contract, Man Utd will likely struggle to match the offered salary, at least under the self-imposed financial restrictions.

All in all, signing Tchouameni or Camavinga will be a tall order for MUFC this summer, especially with both players expressing their desire to stay at José Mourinho’s court.

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment *

Name *

Email *

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.