€100m Manchester United transfer target could be available in January as issue emerges

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho reportedly seems to be frustrated with Aurelien Tchouameni’s fitness issues, in a possible boost for Manchester United.

The Red Devils were keen on Tchouameni during the summer, though a deal never materialised as they instead signed Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans, and Andrey Santos as their three new additions for that position.

Still, it seems Tchouameni is still of interest to Man Utd, and his issues with Mourinho could mean he’ll be available on the market in January, according to Fichajes.

Aurelien Tchouameni and Alex Scott remain high on Manchester United’s target list for a new midfielder ? pic.twitter.com/e9JR87OLgf

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) July 3, 2026

“Two of their top targets right now” ??

Aurelien Tchouameni and Alex Scott remain high on Manchester United’s target list for a new midfielder ? pic.twitter.com/e9JR87OLgf

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) July 3, 2026

It’s previously been reported by AS that Real Madrid would look for as much as €100m to let Tchouameni go, and it remains to be seen if United can realistically still afford to pay that kind of fee for another player in a position they’re now well-stocked in.

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What next for Aurelien Tchouameni?

It perhaps seems a bit early to be writing Tchouameni off under new manager Mourinho, even if injuries have prevented him from making an appearance for the Portuguese tactician so far.

Even if Mourinho is known for being demanding of his players, he’ll surely be a bit more patient with someone of Tchouameni’s quality.

If this really is the beginning of the end of Tchouameni’s Bernabeu career, it will be interesting to see what kind of interest he has in January.

The middle of the season is a bit hit and miss in terms of major transfers, but we saw some last year when Manchester City signed Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi.

Depending on clubs’ needs in the next few months, perhaps United and others will be lining up to take a punt on Tchouameni.