The blockbuster Man Utd & Real Madrid swap deal that would see Amorim bag £77m "top professional" - opinion
Man United are reportedly interested in a Real Madrid player this summer who could transform their midfield.
Ruben Amorim hasn’t had the best of success selling his players so far this transfer window. Five players have been told to seek a move away, and none of them so far are on their way out of Old Trafford, limiting Manchester United’s transfer budget.
Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Tyrell Malacia, Jadon Sancho and Antony have all expressed their desire to leave the club, and MUnited could seriously benefit from the transfer funds that they could bring in.
Alternatively, Amorim could decide that these five players could be used as part of United’s transfer business in swap deals, ensuring that they get plenty of value back from the five departing names.
Man United interested in Tchouameni
United’s biggest weakness last season was in attack, something that they have already addressed with the signing of Matheus Cunha. But they also need midfield improvements too, as they found it very difficult to control the possession in the middle of the park.
Plus, United didn’t have any players effectively protecting the back three, something that is necessary when just playing three main defenders. It means that a strong defensive midfielder is also a priority for the Red Devils this summer.
According to reports in Spain, they are interested in signing Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who is a key member of Xabi Alonso’s squad. Journalist Eduardo Inda via TeamTalk, has claimed that United have made a bid of £77.5m to sign the French international in a sensational transfer move.
Last year, the 25-year-old made 58 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring two goals and providing one assist. He played both as a midfielder and a centre-back, making him one of the more versatile midfielders in Europe’s top leagues.
Former Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti described him as a “top professional”. Quoted in Trubuna, he said: “Aurelien Tchouameni has a very strong character and personality. He is a worker. Very serious and top professional… Now he is playing very well with and without the ball.”
Tchouameni would be a real coup for United, however, after they paid over £60m for Cunha, and haven’t yet made a player sale, it begs the question of how they are going to afford such a deal.
Man United could offer Garnacho and Rashford
Seeing as United are struggling to sell their want-away players, they could offer two of them as part of a swap deal for Tchouameni. Reports have said that Garnacho is expected to command a fee of around £45m this summer.
Furthermore, Rashford has a price of £40m, the same value that he had in his buy option following his loan move to Aston Villa. United could offer the pair in a package to Real Madrid, who would then be getting £85m in transfer value for Tchouameni.
It is much better than a bid of £77m, and plus, Madrid get two players who can, on their day, be best in the Premier League-level players. Furthermore, it would free up wage budget space for United, as together Rashford and Garnacho’s wages amount to £350,000 per week. Tchouameni is currently on approximately £201,000 per week at Madrid. Rashford is eager to join Barcelona while Garnacho is being linked with Napoli and Xabi Alonso may feel one or both of them could do a job for him.