Mason Mount, an England international, was acquired by Manchester United in a deal that was finalised after much negotiation and for an initial fee of £55 million.

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There have been rumours that Mount could be joined at Old Trafford by another midfield addition, helping to provide competition to players like Christian Eriksen and Casemiro ahead of next season. While it is expected that the Red Devils will now prioritise moves for a new goalkeeper and center-forward over the coming weeks, there have also been reports that Mount could be joined by another midfield addition.

Romeo Lavia and Sofyan Amrabat have been mentioned as potential targets, but according to Spanish media, Ten Hag is interested in signing Aurelien Tchouameni from Real Madrid. The 23-year-old is reportedly open to moving to England after only a year in the Spanish capital, according to the reports.

The rumour is that Ten Hag has instructed United representatives to go to Madrid to attempt and negotiate a deal for the former Monaco player. The La Liga giants are expected to demand about €80 million (£69 million) if they are to let go of the 6 foot 2 maestro this summer.

The Red Devils could make another attack on Los Blancos for another strong midfield jewel just a year after they acquired Casemiro from the Bernabeu for £70 million.

Is Aurelien Tchouameni any good?

The 25-cap France international has already got high praise recently from a person with connections to Manchester United, having been called a “superb talent” after performances at the World Cup in Qatar by Champions League-winning defender Rio Ferdinand.

Tchouameni, who has been dubbed a “ball-recovering machine” by journalist Lucas Navarette and who ranks in the top 1% of his European peers for tackles made, could challenge Casemiro at the base of the midfield before possibly ousting the Brazilian as the preferred option in the future.

FBref claims that the Rouen-born gem’s apparent resemblance to Manchester City’s Rodri, with whom they are reported to share a number of stylistic and statistical parallels, serves as an example of how well-suited the player is for life in the Premier League in that deep-lying role.

rodri-manchester-city
The easiest way to compare the two is through their natural poise in possession, with the City star rating in the top 2% for pass completion and Tchouameni in the top 1%.

However, the Madrid menace and Rodri don’t only look for the safe pass; the Madrid menace rates in the top 5% for attempted passes as a sign of his forward-thinking style, and Rodri is in the top 1%.

Due to their physical similarities, Tchouameni and the former Atletico Madrid star are similarly similar defensively, with Tchouameni ranking in the top 11% for aerial duels won and the latter in the top 9%.

The latter player is undoubtedly someone that any manager would like to have in their squad. The Spaniard has been dubbed the “best holding midfielder in the world” by analyst Danny Murphy for his role in Pep Guardiola’s team’s treble-winning campaign last year.

With the signing of Tchouameni, United may then be able to get their own, younger version of the 27-year-old, which would be a dream come true. Ten Hag is hoped to have the resources necessary to complete that high-profile deal.