25 May 2026 13:54 BST |
5 min read
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick’s biggest job of the summer is finding a replacement for Casemiro – and the Red Devils believe they have found the perfect candidate.
With Player of the Season Bruno Fernandes looking very likely now to remain at Old Trafford beyond the summer window, United’s focus is on finding an alternative for Casemiro, whose performances in the heart of the field won widespread acclaim.
While there have been links with Sandro Tonali and Elliot Anderson, Real Madrid star Aurelien Tchouameni is United’s “dream” target for the role, Fabrizio Romano reports.
United believe Tchouameni can be their next Casemiro
“Aurelien Tchouameni, if you ask me, 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,” Romano explained on his YouTube channel.
Landing the France international star will be a long shot, Romano admits, with Real Madrid looking to lock down a player likely to be a centrepiece of Jose Mourinho’s plans at the Bernabeu.
“For Real Madrid, he’s a very important player. So at the moment, the doors of Real Madrid are still closed for Aurelien Tchouameni. He’s on a big salary, so it’s a really, really difficult deal, really complicated,” he admitted.
“If you ask me in terms of midfielders, Tchouameni and Elliot Anderson are super appreciated. Obviously, both are impossible probably. But at the same time, these are two names that Manchester United really appreciate.
“Then we know, transfer window, you always have to be smart, try to understand the best opportunities. So let’s see what’s going to happen with all of them, including also Carlos Baleba, another name we have to include because the player is keen on the move. And then Manchester United will decide who are the midfielders they really want.”
Previous reports indicate that Real Madrid might accept bids worth more than €80 million for Tchouameni, whose Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) sits at €69.4m.
Casemiro: A tough act to follow
Man Utd’s problem when it comes to replacing Casemiro is the sheer quality he boasted last season. He finished as one of the Premier League’s elite midfielders, which at the age of 34 was a commendable outcome.
Tchouameni, meanwhile, is not coming off a particularly good season. Indeed, data analytics firm SciSports rates his performance as having been 56th out of 97 midfielders in La Liga. Casemiro was 3rd from 95 in the Premier League.
Stylistically, there were some similarities, with both tending towards being box-to-box players as well as deep-lying playmakers. Tchouameni showed much less defensive leadership than Casemiro, though he has been a victim of the departure of Toni Kroos in Madrid.
This is highlighted in the statistical profile of the pair during league play last season. Tchouameni was expected to play a far greater role in Real Madrid’s build-up than Casemiro was at United. He logged far more passes, build-up passes and carries than the Brazilian.
How would Tchouameni fit at Man Utd?
Tchouameni would be a solid fit for Man Utd, SciSports reports via its Career Advice tool, which uses a variety of metrics to judge the suitability of a move.
United score a solid Club Fit of 71 based upon Tchouameni’s likely development and game time at Old Trafford, plus his suitability to Michael Carrick’s style and formation.
While United only score three stars in terms of his playing time, that comes with the caveat that the calculations still factors in Casemiro, so in reality he would play more than advertised.
The only real question mark, then, is over his ability to play in Carrick’s style.
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