Manchester United report: Midfield wonderkid targeted in £68m deal

Manchester United have not given up hope of signing Real Madrid target Aurelien Tchouameni this summer, according to reports.

The Monaco man had looked set to seal a move to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, but the transfer has been held up. ESPN writes that a tax issue has caused a delay which the midfielder's other suitors are now looking to take advantage of.

Madrid are willing to pay £68m for the 22-year-old, who earned rave reviews for his performances in Ligue 1 last season. Monaco stand to make a significant profit on a player they bought for just £17m in January 2020.

However, Madrid have been left to sweat after a tax regulation has thrown the deal into doubt.

The Spanish government defines the Principality of Monaco as a tax haven and will demand the Ligue 1 side pay 24% in taxes on the profit from the deal.

Since there are other clubs in for Tchouameni, none of whom would encounter the Spain-specific tax issue, Monaco are not willing to pay the additional money.

They hope to pass the cost onto Madrid but the Spanish giants have so far refused to stump up the extra £12.5m.

That has alerted Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal, all of whom have been keeping tabs on the situation, according to The Sun. 

United are particularly keen to bolster their midfield ranks this summer, with Paul Pogba, Juan Mata and Nemanja Matic all set to depart when their contracts expire at the end of next month.

Erik ten Hag will be backed in the transfer market as United attempt to recover from a disastrous 2021/22.

The Red Devils are ready to step in if Tchouameni's proposed switch to Madrid falls through.

However, the La Liga champions remain in pole position to sign a player who has been likened to Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard in the past.

More Manchester United stories

New Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has been speaking to the press as he takes control of the Red Devils. The 52-year-old has confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo remains a part of his plans heading into next season, while suggesting that he may need patience to transform Old Trafford in his image. 

Rumours are rife that the club are looking to slash the wage bill – with PSG lining up one final attempt to sway Paul Pogba to Paris. There could be plenty of incomings, too: Frenkie de Jong remains a key target at £67.5m, while Raphinha of Leeds is on the radar. Jurrien Timber is one name heavily linked, while United are long-term admirers of Lazio man Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

One slightly leftfield potential buy would be Christian Eriksen from Brentford, who is out of contract following the end of the season.