Fabrizio Romano has revealed the two midfielders Manchester United have high on their shortlist after missing out on Mateus Fernandes.
Tottenham Hotspur beat the Red Devils to Fernandes’ signature after paying West Ham United’s £85 million asking price up front. The Portuguese midfielder had been one of INEOS’ top midfield targets, but the club refused to match Spurs’ bid for the player.
It means United have again gone back to the drawing board after also failing to land Elliot Anderson. The England star preferred a move to Manchester City, who paid £116m to Nottingham Forest, making him the most expensive British player in history.
Aurelien Tchouameni
United have long been expected to sign at least two new midfielders this summer following Casemiro‘s departure. There had also been doubts over Manuel Ugarte’s future, although a knee ligament injury seems likely to prevent a summer transfer.
Romano, speaking on his YouTube channel, has given an update on the club’s plans to overhaul Michael Carrick’s midfield. Two names are highly admired, and one is viewed as an ideal Casemiro replacement.
“The two names that Man United internally consider as fantastic options are Aurelien Tchouameni, but I told you the problem at the moment is the salary, and at the moment, no green light from Real Madrid.”
United have been eyeing Aurelien Tchouameni since the summer transfer window opened, and the French midfielder has a profile similar to Casemiro. He’s been an important player for Real Madrid over the years and even arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu for £85m after the veteran Brazilian left for Old Trafford in August 2022.
Romano added: “Alex Scott is also highly rated by Arsenal and by Manchester United. Alex Scott has many clubs around him this summer, but Bournemouth insist they want to keep the player, and they want to offer him a new contract. Let’s see if Bournemouth will be able to keep him, because one thing is to say that one thing is in the next two months resist in case they receive big proposals.”
Alex Scott enjoyed a superb past season and even earned a call-up to Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the ongoing World Cup. The former Bristol City midfielder is considered an alternative to Fernandes but United face competition from Arsenal for his signature.
Romano also mentioned that Bournemouth’s stance is currently that the Englishman isn’t leaving the Vitality Stadium. He suggested the Cherries could “open doors” for “big money” amid growing interest in their midfield gem who is thought to be valued at £80m.
United already have one new midfielder signed following Ederson’s arrival from Atalanta in a £35m deal. That said, the Brazilian isn’t viewed as a starter or a marquee signing required to address Casemiro’s exit.
There are many issues that have complicated United’s midfield rebuild, including a market shift driven by astronomical fees paid for midfielders. Spurs have not only forked out £85m for Fernandes but also agreed on a staggering £100m deal with Newcastle United for Sandro Tonali.
While signing a Casemiro replacement has been a priority, doing so for such high fees wasn’t INEOS’ intention. That said, their reported stance that they only want players who are “desperate” to join the club is a strategy that won’t work this time around.
Last summer, United beat several Premier League clubs to the signings of Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha. They insisted on pursuing only players who had made Old Trafford their priority.
|
Aurelien Tchouameni for Real Madrid (2025-26) |
||||||
|
Competition |
Appearances |
Goals |
Assists |
Yellow Cards |
Red Cards |
|
|
La Liga |
33 |
1 |
0 |
8 |
0 |
|
|
UEFA Champions League |
13 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
|
|
Total (Club) |
46 |
2 |
1 |
11 |
0 |
|
This mindset, while admirable, won’t always pan out, as players will often go where the money is. Tchouameni might be demanding high wages to make the move, and this is just where the sport finds itself in today’s game.
United can’t afford to miss out on the best possible Casemiro replacement who can lock down the number six position for years to come. He is still only 26 and would arrive with years of experience at club and country level.
All stats courtesy of SofaScore – correct as of 04/07/2026
Arsenal have agreed a £17m deal with Besiktas to sell winger Leandro Trossard, according to The Athletic.
The Gunners claimed their first Premier League title in 22 years by finishing seven points above Manchester City, while they also reached the Carabao Cup and Champions League finals.
Manchester United could sign a Premier League alternative to Mateus Fernandes after missing out on the Portuguese midfielder. The Red Devils are keen to find a replacement for Casemiro this summer, with two midfield signings desired in total, including the early-season signing of Ederson.
It has been a frustrating search from Michael Carrick and Co so far, with Tottenham beating them to West Ham star Fernandes, agreeing to pay £85million. United were said to be willing to pay a similar fee, but Spurs were willing to pay upfront and without any major add-ons, something the Red Devils were not willing to do.
That means the search goes on, and it appears United are not close to securing an alternative at this stage, even if there is a likely candidate.
According to the Daily Mail, United are not close to finding an alternative to Fernandes, now set to reassess their options after missing out. But it’s added the Red Devils are ‘known admirers’ of AFC Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, and they could turn to the England international.
Scott was a vital part of Bournemouth’s superb season of last that saw them qualify for the Europa League, and he almost won a World Cup call-up, serving as the main back-up during the pre-tournament training camp.
Scott is a very different midfielder from Casemiro, and while he is more similar to Fernandes, he arguably has a more attacking frame of mind. From that perspective, it would be a little surprising the Red Devils to go in that route, but Scott is a hard-working midfielder who can also do the dirty work.
Still only 22 years of age, the Cherries are said to be demanding £80million to sell Scott this summer, so it wouldn’t be much of a cheaper compromise from Fernandes for United.
Scott was praised repeatedly last season, and Match of the Day pundit Micah Richards said: “I love him. He’s got everything that a midfielder should have playing in the Premier League. I love his game. He takes a good set-piece but it’s his calmness on the ball. He can pass well and receive the ball between the lines.
“A lot of midfielders hide and don’t want the ball but he’s brave on it. He keeps it moving. Every time I watch him, he’s so confident on the ball.”
Alan Shearer added: “He’s having a brilliant season and standing out in every game. Superb.”
After Fernandes: Man Utd Open Talks to Sign ‘One of the Best CMs in the World’
Manchester United are exploring alternative midfielders after failing with a deal to sign Mateus Fernandes.
Rangers are looking to continue adding to their midfield even after winning the race to sign former Sunderland star Dan Neil, who found himself needing a new club after his contract came to an end. Neil secured back-to-back promotions after spending time on loan with Ipswich Town last season, and he now heads to Ibrox to work under Derek McInnes.
That deal followed a statement goalkeeper signing, with Ivor Pandur arriving from Hull City on a £6million deal, and Rangers are not done there. The Glasgow side know they need to improve the quality of their squad to catch up with Celtic – and perhaps even Hearts – and McInnes is being backed after his summer arrival from Edinburgh.
McInnes still wants more midfield strength even after signing Neil, and according to Rangers Review, Partizan Belgrade skipper Vanja Dragojevic is of interest. With Nico Raskin and Mohamed Diomande potentially heading out this summer, McInnes will feel he needs adequate depth in the middle.
The report claims 20-year-old Dragojevic is now an option, although a deal may not be easy to reach, given he only signed a new contract last season, theoretically keeping him in place until 2030.
Despite his youth, Dragojevic is Belgrade’s captain, and he is also a two-time Serbia international. Transfermarkt already have the defensive midfielder valued at £6.8million, and given his contract situation and age, the actual price could be more than that.
Rangers have already been busy this summer, snapping up Pandur, Neil Ross McCrorie, Ben Godfrey and Lawrence Shankland. Interestingly, rivals Celtic are yet to make a single signing this summer, although they have given Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain a new contract. New boss McInnes clearly has a good idea of where his side need to be, and he should know having led Hearts within a whisker of the title last season. “A lot of the conversations were ongoing before I came in, but obviously getting things over the line isn’t easy,” McInnes told RTV this week.
“People think it is easy to get signings in, but when there are good players involved there’s more than one team involved, so I think the board and the recruitment team should be pleased with their work so far.
“Clearly there’s still more work to do, but we are pleased with the work we have got done and getting the boys in as early as possible for all the reasons I’ve just said is vitally important. Some signings will take a bit longer, which is just the way, but getting them in and familiarising themselves with the club and everybody else is important.”
Rangers Set to Hijack Southampton Transfer With Agreement Reached
Southampton were in talks to secure his signature.
FIFA Release Statement After VAR Call During Portugal 2-1 Croatia
Piers Morgan Slams BBC Commentators For Cristiano Ronaldo Treatment
Croatia’s Igor Matanovic Praised For Interview After Goal v Portugal is Ruled Out
What Cristiano Ronaldo Told Croatia Star After Controversy in World Cup Game
FIFA Set to Change England vs Mexico World Cup Kick-Off Time
Footage Shows What Happened After Lionel Messi’s Post-Match Interview v Cape Verde
Egypt Stars Watch Kylian Mbappe Footage as Penalty Tactic vs Australia
Harry Kane Points Out ‘Huge Advantage’ Mexico Have vs England
