Manchester United’s Tchouameni Pursuit Hits the Same Wall Casemiro Left Behind

Manchester United have made it clear they want Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni. They just don’t want to pay for him the way they paid for Casemiro. And that’s where things get tricky.

According to a report from The Sun, Tchouameni’s camp is asking for a wage package similar to what Casemiro was pulling down at Old Trafford. That number — £350,000 a week — was a big reason INEOS let Casemiro walk rather than trigger his extension. So the idea of turning around and handing that same money to another defensive midfielder, even a younger one at 26, is a hard sell internally.

United have already missed out on Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali, and Mateus Fernandes this window. They briefly looked at Bournemouth’s Alex Scott before deciding that path might also be a dead end. So Tchouameni is the dream target now, but dreams cost real money in this market.

The problem isn’t just the wages. Real Madrid’s new manager, Jose Mourinho, wants to keep Tchouameni around. That matters. The Frenchman won a Champions League with Madrid and Mourinho clearly sees him as part of the plan going forward. United would need to not only match the salary but also convince Madrid to sell a guy their coach values.

There’s also Chelsea lurking in the background. Xabi Alonso, who coached Tchouameni at Real, is reportedly eager to reunite with him at Stamford Bridge. That gives the player leverage and puts United in a spot where they either pay up or watch yet another target slip away.

The Casemiro Comparison Cuts Both Ways

When Casemiro moved from Madrid to United in 2022, the deal was £60 million up front plus that monster salary. It looked like a statement signing at the time. Two years later, it looks like the kind of deal INEOS is trying to stop making. The new ownership group has been aggressive about cutting the wage bill — Jadon Sancho’s departure was part of that same push — and Tchouameni’s asking price puts them right back in the same territory.

United have not confirmed any formal offer yet. The team is reportedly pushing for Tchouameni to lower his demands before they make a real move. But the Frenchman knows he’s wanted by at least two Premier League clubs and his current manager. Why would he take a pay cut?

The ball is with INEOS now. Either they bend on wages and make a serious run, or they pivot to someone cheaper and risk another summer of fans asking why every midfield target ends up somewhere else. There’s no third option that ends with Tchouameni in a United shirt at a discount.