Man Utd suffer major setback in their pursuit of 'dream' midfield signing

Manchester United have been dealt a significant blow in their pursuit of Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, according to reports.

Tchouameni is said to feature on United's shortlist of candidates to replace the departing Casemiro, who confirmed in January that he will leave Old Trafford when his contract expires at the end of June.

United want to sign at least two midfielders this summer and, alongside Brazil's Ederson, who is on the verge of completing a £35 million move from Atalanta, Tchouameni was viewed as another credible option.

In fact, they view the 26-year-old France international as a 'dream midfield target', according to Fabrizio Romano.

Speaking on his YouTube channel last month, Romano said: “Manchester United are talking to several midfielders, so there is always the appreciation for Sandro Tonali, the appreciation for Elliot Anderson when Manchester City are also there."

Tchouameni has been identified as one of the players United are looking at to replace Casemiro. Image credit: Getty

He continued: "Mateus Fernandes is going to be another big name to follow for top clubs in England this summer, so there is going to be a lot of movement for midfielders.

“But Aurelien Tchouameni, if you ask me, who is going to be probably internally considered as a dream midfielder target for Manchester United. He is for sure a player they love. He’s a player they believe could be another Casemiro for Manchester United."

At the time, Romano said it would be a "really difficult" deal to complete given his important status at Los Blancos, and it appears he was right.

Jose Mourinho, who is set to be confirmed as Madrid's new head coach after Florentino Perez was re-elected as club president, wants to keep Tchouameni for the upcoming campaign.

That's according to a report from The Sun, which claims sources in Madrid believe United were simply trying to 'flex their muscles' by making their interest known in the Frenchman.

Who else is on Manchester United's radar?

As mentioned above, United are keen on signing at least two midfielders. Brighton’s Carlos Baleba is highly regarded at Old Trafford and was linked with a move to the club during last summer's window.

Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson also features on United’s list of midfield targets alongside Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, West Ham’s Matheus Fernandes and Newcastle's Sandro Tonali.

So, what does Michael Carrick want from his midfielders? “You need to have composure, poise and be positive," he said. “You need to have the physical strength to deal with the quick transitions in the way we want to play and to create excitement."