Manchester United has approached Aurélien Tchouaméni, explicitly requesting a pay cut! Real Madrid has yet to decide on a sale, but demands at least €100 million.

The Red Devils view 26-year-old French midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni as the ideal candidate to bolster their midfield this summer and have recently reached out to his representatives. Per Ben Jacobs, Manchester United engaged in "constructive talks" with the player’s side. Yet, two key obstacles persist: Real Madrid’s willingness to sell and the necessity for Tchouaméni to take a pay cut. Therefore, the situation remains unchanged: United admire Tchouaméni but must wait for decisions from both Real Madrid and the player.

Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Manchester United considers Tchouaméni the perfect successor to Casemiro, akin to his role at the Bernabéu, praising his quality and mentality as elite. However, Romano also stressed: "Manchester United has clearly informed Tchouaméni’s camp that he can only join the club under different salary conditions. Moreover, United has not yet received permission from Real Madrid to officially begin negotiations."

In other words, United is demanding a pay cut from Tchouaméni. He currently earns €240,000 per week (approx. £210,000) at Real Madrid, which, due to different tax rates in Spain and England, equates to around £250,000 per week for a Premier League player. United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is unwilling to offer new signings more than £200,000 per week, and Tchouaméni’s salary clearly exceeds that threshold.

Even the most optimistic Manchester United fans don’t believe Tchouaméni would agree to take a pay cut to join the club—it defies common sense. In world football, Real Madrid holds more influence than United and has enjoyed superior results in recent years. Asking Tchouaméni to lower his wages to join United is a condition that even Matheus Fernandes wouldn’t accept.

On the club side, Real Madrid’s mouthpiece *AS* journalist José Félix Díaz reports that Manchester United is preparing to make an offer for Tchouaméni, with a delegation heading to Madrid soon, potentially resorting to "crazy tactics" by submitting a huge bid.

Real Madrid is expected to consider only offers exceeding €100 million (£86 million), given they paid €80 million to sign Tchouaméni from Monaco. With his contract running until 2028, the club can still demand a high fee this summer.

Nicknamed "Green Hat," the outlet "indykaila News" even claimed that United had already bid £70 million, which was rejected by Real Madrid. While their reports are unreliable, it is an indisputable fact that Los Blancos will not let Tchouaméni go cheaply.

Interestingly, Ratcliffe’s three principles for United transfers are: the player must only want to join United, the salary must fit the current structure (under £200,000 per week), and the transfer fee must be reasonable (fixed fee under £70 million). By these standards, Tchouaméni fails on all counts—yet rumors suggest the Red Devils boss is very fond of him and willing to make an exception.

Reports indicate that Manchester United is ready to invest heavily in players they deem indispensable. The club also believes they have built a strong working relationship with Real Madrid in recent years, having signed Casemiro and Raphaël Varane, and not blocking Madrid’s move for Álvaro Fernández Carreras by exercising their buy-back clause. This good rapport could facilitate Tchouaméni negotiations.

However, *AS* warns United that this could become a pivotal deal for the summer transfer window. For now, Tchouaméni remains a distant dream for Manchester United. The player clearly wants to stay at Real Madrid, and all his public statements reflect that intention. Still, things could change. In the coming days, the first club-level contact is expected to take place.