Mourinho Blocks Tchouameni Exit, Crushing Man Utd's Midfield Hopes

Jose Mourinho has delivered another blow to Manchester United’s summer plans. The Real Madrid boss has made it clear that Aurelien Tchouameni is staying put, effectively killing the Red Devils' hopes of signing the French midfielder. United have been scrambling for midfield reinforcements all window. Atalanta’s Ederson is on his way for €45m once his World Cup commitments with Brazil end, but that was never going to be the only addition. The plan was to bring in at least two new central midfielders to replace Casemiro and add depth for a Champions League return. But Manuel Ugarte’s injury changed things. The Uruguayan will stay and recover, eating up both budget and a squad spot. That means only one more midfielder beyond Ederson was realistic. And the targets they chased slipped away. West Ham’s Manuel Fernandes went to Tottenham for €99m. Sandro Tonali also joined Spurs for €117m. That left Tchouameni as the dream target. It was always going to be tough to prise him from Madrid given the fee and wages. Recent noise suggested Madrid might sell to fund a marquee midfield signing, especially after they denied any interest in Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez in a rare public statement. But now, according to reports, Mourinho has halted Madrid’s midfield search altogether. Instead, he wants a centre-back, preferably a left-footer. Ibrahima Konate has already arrived on a free from Liverpool, but another defender remains the priority. Mourinho believes he can finally unlock the best from Tchouameni, who hasn’t fully justified his €80m price tag since arriving in 2022. The manager is ready to build his team around the 26-year-old. Tchouameni never wanted to leave, so this is great news for him and another devastating setback for Manchester United.