Manchester United have contacted the agents of Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni as their summer midfield rebuild takes another twist.

Man United quickly agreed a deal with Atalanta worth under £40m to sign Ederson even before the transfer window officially opened, with the player expected to complete his move to Old Trafford when he returns from representing Brazil at the 2026 World Cup.

The Brazilian is the first piece of the jigsaw puzzle as the Red Devils look to transform their midfield, and there could be two more additions to come should Manuel Ugarte join Casemiro in leaving Old Trafford this summer.

Having failed to make any progress with a move to sign top target Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, with the England international looking destined to join rivals Manchester City instead, club chiefs turned their attentions to West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes following the London outfit’s relegation to the Championship.

United considered the 21-year-old a target anyway, but there is more of a chance of prising him away from the Hammers given the player has no intention of playing in the Championship.

Agreeing a fee with West Ham will likely prove the most difficult hurdle though, given they are staying strong on their £85m valuation.

Man United Tell Tchouameni Agent They Want to Sign Him

via Reuters

With no breakthrough in talks to sign Fernandes yet, United officials are now said to have made contact with the agent of Tchouameni.

Fabrizio Romano has already made it clear that the club see the France international as their ‘dream’ midfield transfer target, above all others.

The 26-year-old is seen as the perfect replacement for Casemiro, who leaves a huge void in the United engine room after leaving the club following the expiry of his contract.

According to Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari, Real are open to selling the 26-year-old star this summer following the appointment of Jose Mourinho, even though the player himself would like to stay.

United chiefs have expressed strong interest in signing the Frenchman to the player’s agents.

Tchouameni Would be Statement Signing for United

via Reuters

He may have had a public bust-up with teammate Federico Valverde on the Real Madrid training ground, which saw both players fined €500,000, but there is no doubting his quality.

His former teammate Chema Andres has described him as the ‘best DM in the world’, and there aren’t many better options on the globe in that position than Tchouameni.

During his four years at the Bernabeu, the 26-year-old has won the Champions League and La Liga, making 195 appearances along the way.

Tchouameni is ideal for United’s midfield as he is happy to sit and screen the defence, which will give someone like Kobbie Mainoo more freedom to make a difference further forward.

The France international is also physically dominant and powerful, with elite-level defensive anticipation that helps him snuff out any danger.

His tackling success and defensive duel wins also consistently rank among the best in Europe, which only further enhance his reputation as being one of the top defensive midfielders on the globe.

Tottenham Hotspur mean business in this summer transfer window, and they clearly have no intention of finding themselves near the relegation zone in the Premier League again anytime soon.

Tottenham have already completed the signings of three players ahead of the Roberto De Zerbi revolution, including a Champions League and Premier League winner in Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke.

It has been suggested that they want to complete seven summer signings, with a midfielder and three attackers to follow, although Spurs are also being linked with a second central midfielder and goalkeepers with Guglielmo Vicario expected to leave.

The north Londoners have been working hard on a deal to sign De Zerbi’s top target Sandro Tonali, having already had a £75m bid rejected by Newcastle United for the Italy international.

The 26-year-old is said to be keen on a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to link up with Italian compatriot De Zerbi, as Spurs continue to show huge ambition in the market.

Tonali isn’t the only midfielder De Zerbi has on his wishlist however, with the 47-year-old also wanting to sign West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes on top of the Italian, following the Irons’ relegation to the Championship.

Tottenham ‘Very Close’ to Mateus Fernandes Agreement

via Reuters

Italian journalist Matteo Moretto reported on Saturday that Tottenham are now ‘very close’ to reaching an agreement on personal terms with Fernandes, as they look to try and beat Premier League rivals Manchester United to his signature.

United had looked to be in clear pole position to sign the Portugal international, who would like to link up with Portuguese teammate Bruno Fernandes at Old Trafford, but Spurs appear to have made an attractive offer to him as well, which would allow him to remain in London.

The Red Devils can also offer the ‘elite’ 21-year-old star Champions League football next term while Spurs have no European football to offer at all.

Nevertheless, Fernandes seems ready to join Tottenham if they can agree a fee with West Ham, as he looks to avoid playing in England’s second tier.

Tonali Will Love Fernandes

via Reuters

If Tottenham can pull off an audacious double swoop for Tonali and Fernandes, like De Zerbi wants them to, they would arguably have one of the best central midfield partnerships in the Premier League.

Tonali is a physically imposing midfielder with impressive strength and stamina, while he has also shown his ability to dicate matches and make an impact in the final third at St James’ Park too.

Fernandes could prove to be the perfect player to complement him in the Tottenham engine room, given the Portuguese’s own versatility.

The 21-year-old has proven he can play as a ‘6’, ‘8’ and a ’10’ during his spells with West Ham and Southampton, and that adaptability will allow Tonali to not only sit deep, but also get involved in more attacking areas too because he knows he can rely on him for tackling success.

When Tonali finds Fernandes in possession, he knows that youngster will use the ball well too after what we’ve seen from him at St Mary’s and the London Stadium.

Arsenal are facing a fight to keep hold of defender Piero Hincapie, as ESPN reports that Real Madrid have made enquiries about signing the Ecuadorian international this summer.

It’s not the first time that Jose Mourinho has come knocking at the Emirates Stadium this summer, with previous reports suggesting that Riccardo Calafiori was a target for Los Blancos.

In that instance, Arsenal held firm and instead, Real Madrid went and signed Marc Cucurella from Chelsea to fill the void they had at left-back.

However, with centre-back problems lurking in the background for the Spanish giants, they are back shopping in the Premier League, and are looking to swipe a star from the Gunners.

Real Madrid Want Piero Hincapie

After failing in an attempt to sign Calafiori, Real Madrid are looking at Arsenal star Hincapie, as ESPN reports that enquiries have been made over a deal.

It comes as Los Blancos want a left-footed centre-back, with moves elsewhere in the backline set to free up a space for the position this summer.

Any deal looks difficult, however, as Arsenal are set to make Hincapie’s loan from Bayer Leverkusen permanent this summer with a £45 million clause in his deal.

That’s not to say a move isn’t possible, but the Gunners would likely be hesitant to let the 24-year-old leave without at least banking a significant profit on a switch to a Champions League rival.

Having already sounded out Hincapie, the report adds that Real Madrid have also enquired about Ruben Dias, Alessandro Bastoni, and Nico Schlotterbeck – though the latter is now unlikely to move due to an injury sustained at the World Cup with Germany.

In all, it means Arsenal could face a potential battle in keeping the versatile defender, but have all the cards in their hand to keep him if they so wish.

What Mikel Arteta has said about Hincapie

Hincapie wasn’t always a guaranteed started for Arsenal over the course of the previous season, but he did play a large role in the team finally winning the Premier League.

The defender was a reliable option, especially when injuries struck in the backline, adding plenty of pace and physicality at full-back in particular.

“When I spoke to Xabi just before we were going to sign him, I said if you have to describe him in one word, what would you use, and he said, ‘He’s a warrior,'” Arteta said in March to TNT Sports.

“He will play through brick walls for you and he’s one of the most competitive players that I have had. He’s come into the Premier League after surgery and a difficult start without a pre-season, and when you see him around his team-mates and competing on the pitch, it’s like he’s been here for 10 years.

“He has an aura, a charisma – a really special character.”

It shows exactly what Arteta thinks of Hincapie, and perhaps further underlines how tough it may be for Real Madrid to tempt a move this summer.