Tchouameni and Scott emerge as United's top midfield targets after Fernandes miss

Manchester United’s summer midfield rebuild has suffered back-to-back setbacks, with Tottenham securing Mateus Fernandes and Manchester City winning the race for Elliot Anderson, leaving the club to identify new targets ahead of the new season.

With Casemiro’s departure already confirmed and the futures of several other midfielders unresolved, strengthening the engine room has become United’s most pressing transfer priority. The club are understood to be seeking players capable of transforming the team rather than simply adding squad depth.

Aurélien Tchouameni

United enjoyed considerable success when they signed Casemiro from Real Madrid, and the Spanish club’s French international Aurélien Tchouameni has emerged as a potential target from the same source. Under normal circumstances Tchouameni would be considered untouchable at the Bernabéu, but two factors could work in United’s favour.

Towards the end of last season, Tchouameni was involved in a training-ground altercation with teammate Federico Valverde. Although both players publicly downplayed any lasting friction, speculation has persisted that tensions have not been fully resolved. Separately, Real Madrid are reported to be targeting a marquee midfield signing of their own under new head coach José Mourinho, with Enzo Fernandez and Vitinha among the names linked. Should Madrid need to raise funds to finance a major arrival, Tchouameni could become one of their most saleable assets.

Any deal would require a significant outlay — a fee in the region of £100m — but Tchouameni is a midfielder entering his prime with elite pedigree and the ability to influence games at both ends of the pitch.

Alex Scott

United’s recruitment approach has increasingly focused on proven Premier League talent, and Bournemouth’s Alex Scott fits that profile. The 22-year-old had an outstanding season at the Vitality Stadium and was considered unlucky to miss out on Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the 2026 World Cup. At a fraction of the cost of a Tchouameni deal, Scott would represent a different kind of investment — a high-ceiling domestic talent rather than a proven elite-level import.

Together, the two players would represent a combined outlay of roughly £160m, underlining the scale of United’s ambitions in the transfer market this summer despite a quiet start to the window.