Jose Mourinho has made his call on Aurelien Tchouameni, and it’s bad news for Liverpool and Manchester United. The Real Madrid manager told the club’s brass he wants to keep the French midfielder, according to multiple reports. That essentially ends any speculation about a summer move.
Tchouameni, 26, is in the middle of the World Cup with France. But behind the scenes, his club future was unsettled. Mourinho just took over for his second stint at Madrid, and nobody knew for sure if he saw Tchouameni as part of the plan. Now we do.
TEAMtalk reported that Mourinho has informed the Madrid front office that Tchouameni will get a real shot to lock down a starting spot next season. Not just a rotation piece. A guaranteed starter, if he earns it. That’s a massive shift from where things stood a few weeks ago, when it felt like the door was cracked open for a bid.
Why This Hurts Liverpool and Man United
Both Premier League clubs had legitimate interest. Liverpool genuinely believed they had a path to sign him, per the same report. And Man United? Rio Ferdinand has been shouting from the rooftops for months that Tchouameni is the guy to replace Casemiro.
Ferdinand even said on his YouTube channel last month that if Tchouameni showed any sign of wanting out, United should be first in line. His quote: “Get him signed, sealed, delivered.” Well, that window just slammed shut.
United’s midfield needs are obvious. Casemiro is past his prime, and the club has been hunting for a long-term solution at the No. 6 spot. Tchouameni was the dream fit — young, battle-tested in La Liga and the Champions League, and already a leader for France. Now they have to pivot.
Liverpool’s situation is a little different. They’ve got options in the middle, but adding someone of Tchouameni’s quality would have pushed them into a different tier. They believed they had a real shot. Mourinho just proved them wrong.
Madrid’s Midfield Plans Just Got Clearer
Madrid had been sniffing around other midfielders. Enzo Fernandez at Chelsea and Rodri at Manchester City were both on the radar at various points. But the club publicly denied interest in Fernandez, and City isn’t selling Rodri this summer anyway. So keeping Tchouameni makes even more sense.
The Frenchman never pushed for a transfer, either. According to reports close to the situation, he always wanted to make it work at Madrid if given a real chance. Mourinho is now giving him that chance. Expect him to be a central figure in Madrid’s plans next season.
One more thing worth watching: What does this mean for Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde? Mourinho has a history of picking favorites and freezing out others. But early indicators are he wants all three to coexist. We’ll see how that actually works on the pitch.
Either way, the Tchouameni sweepstakes are over before they really started. Liverpool and United will have to look elsewhere.
Leave a Comment