Vivell making it his mission to sign £70m star for Man Utd

Ruben Amorim’s self-sabotage aside, it’s been a rare serene season for Manchester United, devoid of the usual off-field issues and scandals that have plagued the club in recent years.

The only real bone of contention has been the growing rift between ex-players and current first-team stars, following the saga involving Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Lisandro Martinez, as well as Roy Keane’s recent outburst regarding Bruno Fernandes.

Fernandes might have been the captain of a sinking ship for much of his time at Old Trafford, but he’s also helped to keep it afloat almost singlehandedly, hardly the first person you’d seek to single out for criticism.

Alas, while Keane may feel differently, the plaudits have deservedly flooded in following the skipper’s stellar, record-breaking season, with those of a United persuasion no doubt delighted that he shunned the Saudi riches last summer.

He’s achieved personal landmarks, yet now is the time to truly push for major honours, ensuring INEOS need to bring in marquee signings to do just that.

Vivell driving Man Utd bid to sign £70m midfielder

For the first time in a long time at Old Trafford, there is a growing confidence that the club hierarchy are in a good place to make the right decisions in the transfer market, having been rewarded for their investment across 2025.

Amorim wanted Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez last summer, but United stood firm, having seen their strength rewarded following fruitful first seasons for both Benjamin Sesko and Senne Lammens.

The decision makers, be it Jason Wilcox or Christopher Vivell, appear to be on the right track, with an early move this summer already in the works, amid the imminent capture of Atalanta’s Ederson.

That is set to be just the start of a busy window, however, with journalist Ben Jacobs – speaking to the United Stand – revealing that the aforementioned Vivell is driving the club’s pursuit of Real Madrid star, Aurelien Tchouameni.

As per Jacobs, talks have already taken place and a deal has been explored for the Frenchman, as is also the case for Sandro Tonali and Elliot Anderson, with the search to replace Casemiro now ramping up.

Tchouameni is deemed to be something of a dream target for Vivell and co, with prior reports indicating he could fetch around £70m.

Why Tchouameni signing could be perfect for Fernandes

The Fernandes and Casemiro combination proved particularly effective in 2025/26, the Portuguese genius having supplied the Brazilian with six assists in the Premier League.

There appeared to be a growing bond developing between the pair, although ask Fernandes to name his favourite midfield colleague at United and there’s likely to be only one answer. Paul Pogba.

Speaking back in 2021, for instance, the former Sporting CP star spoke glowingly about his partnership with the World Cup winner, suggesting that Pogba’s quality brought the best out of him in the centre of the park:

As Fernandes has also stressed since, United perhaps didn’t see the very best of Pogba, not quite the player who he came up against in Italy, but he clearly thrived when working alongside him.

For much of his time at Old Trafford, if looking at the likes of Donny van de Beek, Manuel Ugarte, Sofyan Amrabat and Fred, the skipper hasn’t had that level of quality alongside him. Enter, Tchouameni.

Hailed as arguably the “best defensive midfielder in the world“, the Madrid man is the truly elite talent that the club are craving, a man who’s already won major honours back at the Bernabeu.

He already replaced Casemiro in the Spanish capital in 2022 and could now do so again in Manchester in 2026 if Vivell gets his way, with the ongoing uncertainty at the LaLiga side potentially providing INEOS with the chance to pounce.

A genuine successor to Casemiro he would be, although excitingly for Fernandes, this is a man who is “a profile similar to that of Paul Pogba“, according to his own father.

Tchouameni has succeeded his compatriot as the midfield pillar for his country, memorably rifling home a stunning, you could say Pogba-esque effort to open the scoring against England at the 2022 World Cup.

He’s a towering, monster of a midfielder at 6 foot 3, someone who is not so easily brushed aside, having been dribbled past just 0.5 times per game in LaLiga this season, a significantly superior record to that of Casemiro (1.6).

Like Pogba too, however, there is silk to match the steel, with Tchouameni also so graceful and composed on the ball in his own right, boasting a stellar 92% pass accuracy rate and losing the ball just 6.2 times per game.

Again, for comparison, United’s departing number 18 finished 2025/26 with a pass rate of just 81% and after having lost the ball 10.9 times per game.

Tchouameni might well be a step above the 34-year-old, the type of signing that would send a message to Fernandes that the club truly means business again heading into next season.