Man Utd now looking at “one of the best DMs on the planet”

As Manchester United came through their clash with Chelsea last Saturday night with three points in tow, it marked one of the finest performances of Kobbie Mainoo’s Red Devils career.

Under Michael Carrick, the academy graduate has been inducted into the first team picture again and boy has he repaid the interim manager in spades.

Mainoo is now a shoo-in to go to the World Cup and his revival at Old Trafford is certainly timely with the news that Casemiro is set to depart the Premier League at the conclusion of his contract this summer.

With Manuel Ugarte also likely to flee the scene, signing one or two midfielders to partner Mainoo in the summer is of utmost importance. So, who is on their shortlist?

Man Utd looking at Elliot Anderson alternatives

Much of the chatter in recent months has involved Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson.

This has been a real breakthrough campaign for the England international who has become a regular at international level and looks a certainty to start alongside Declan Rice in the USA this summer.

However, because of that, he will come at a premium. Manchester City are also circling and with a £100m price tag, it does not feel like his next destination will be United. Still, stranger things have happened.

As a result, who could they turn to next? Well, according to reports from The Telegraph, it is unlikely to be Sandro Tonali or Adam Wharton.

They suggest that United’s interest in the Newcastle United midfielder is fading, while young Wharton is viewed as too similar a player to Mainoo.

Subsequently, there is a new target in their crosshairs: Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni.

It’s noted that Tchouameni now ‘features prominently’ on their shortlist as they bid to replace Casemiro with a genuine world-class number 6.

That being said, the French midfielder’s availability is likely to depend on Real’s pursuit of a replacement, with Rodri one viable option for Florentino Perez and Co at the Bernabeu.

If that move was completed, then it could well open the door for United to land Tchouameni.

Why Tchouameni would be an elite Casemiro replacement

It was not long ago that Jamie Carragher said the infamous words, “leave the football before the football leaves you.”

The fact of the matter is that Casemiro looked finished at the top level. He was making regular mistakes and simply looked far too slow to feature at the base of midfield in the Premier League.

That issue arguably remained in the early days of Ruben Amorim’s tenure at Old Trafford. Among central and defensive midfielders to play at least 450 minutes in the Premier League last season, the Brazilian clocked the third-lowest top speed of 30.5 km/h.

Yet, this term he has battled back into favour and arguably been one of English football’s top-performing midfielders.

He has been elite in front of goal, scoring eight times in his 31 league outings. It’s been something of an Indian summer for the 34-year-old but all good things must come to an end. A replacement must be sought.

In Tchouameni, they could sign a very like-minded player and there’s more to the comparison than just the fact they’d have both arrived from the Spanish capital.

Hailed as “one of the best defensive midfielders on the planet” in recent years by analyst Raj Chohan, the 26-year-old is now approaching his prime and demonstrating precisely why he is so special for Madrid.

He has missed just three league matches this term, starting 26 of the 28 LaLiga matches he has been available for. He has also started 13 of their 14 Champions League matches in 2025/26. You have to be a damn good talent to play that regularly for Real.

In that time, he has scored just twice but that is not his role. Like Casemiro in his prime, the France international’s primary function is to disrupt and break up the play.

Compared to midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues this season, Tchouameni ranks inside the top 5% for tackles and interceptions, registering as many as 4.07 per 90 minutes. He ranks among the best 4% for expected threat prevented too, according to Scout Lab.

He also happens to be one of the finest headers of a ball in midfield across Europe. Certainly not afraid of getting stuck in, like Casemiro, he’s a defensive monster in front of the back four. Tchouameni is among the finest 6% of midfielders in Europe’s top divisions for aerial duels won per 90 with 2.48.

To rubberstamp that attribute, he is in the top for percentage of aerial duels won. When he goes up for the ball, the United target very rarely comes out second best.

You sense that the Madrid star is very much like Casemiro in his heyday; an elite duel winner. With Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co hunting for new midfield additions, this could be just the answer if they miss out on Anderson.

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