Man Utd eyeing Casemiro upgrade who’s “one of the best DMs on the planet”

Manchester United are in need of another refresh in midfield. Despite selling key players in the centre of the park over the past few summers, including Fred in 2023 and Scott McTominay in 2024, it still feels like there is a big job to do in order to rebuild the central areas.

Former manager Erik ten Hag did not exactly leave the club in a good state despite spending £600m, and the current crop of midfielders reflects that. He signed the likes of Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte to name two of his additions, and they are either getting on age-wise or the jury is still out on whether they’re good enough.

Under Ruben Amroim, the Red Devils need things to be different. He is believed to be targeting one man who could strengthen in the middle of the park.

Man United target new midfielder

The player in question here is French midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. The Real Madrid star is not a guaranteed starter at the Santiago Bernabeu, despite his obvious talent. In any case, his future at the club is up in the air, which might open the door for clubs to pounce.

According to one report from Spain, United are believed to be one of the sides who have ‘shown interest’ in signing the Frenchman. Los Blancos are ‘willing to part ways’ with the midfielder and the Red Devils could try and bring him to the Premier League.

However, they will not be the only English top-flight side trying to sign him. Arch-rivals Liverpool and West London outfit Chelsea are also targeting a move for the midfielder. It is not clear how much he would cost, but Los Blancos would only sell him ‘at a price that allows for immediate reinvestment’ in his replacement.

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Why Tchouameni would be a good signing

There is no doubt that Tchouameni would be a strong addition to the Red Devils side. He has played a crucial role for the Spanish giants this season, featuring 21 times across all competitions.

The Frenchman has also shown great versatility, in the face of some defensive injuries. Although he is a defensive midfielder by trade, the 24-year-old has featured seven times at centre-back, stepping up when his side truly needs him.

Indeed, he is very highly rated as a defensive midfielder. As analyst Raj Chohan called it, Tchouameni is “one of the best defensive midfielders on the planet”, suggesting his skills as a defensive midfielder are second to none.

That certainly seems like he would be an upgrade on the ageing Casemiro, who will be 33 years of age at the end of the season. After being famously told by Jamie Carragher last season to “leave the football before the football leaves you”, he ended up staying at Old Trafford for 2024/25 but has had little involvement.

He has played 22 times in all competitions, scoring three goals, including a stunning strike against Leicester City. However, the experienced Brazilian has played just 1428 minutes, the equivalent of 15 full 90-minute games. He reportedly seems set to leave the club in 2025.

When looking at the stats via FBref, it is clear to see that the Frenchman is superior to United’s number 18. The Real Madrid star makes far more interceptions per 90 minutes, with 1.69 compared to 0.86 by Casemiro. On the ball, he is also far better, as shown by the 6.9 progressive passes compared to 4.73 from the Brazilian.

Singing Tchouameni would be a big statement from United if they pull the deal off. Not only would they be upgrading on Casemiro, but they would be beating their rivals to the signing of a highly-rated midfielder.

Although he could cost a lot of money, United might well need to spend big to rebuild their midfield. Signing Tchouameni could be the perfect place to start.

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