Revealed: The Reason Behind Manchester United's Delay in Signing a Third Midfielder – Ratcliffe Keeps an Eye on Real Madrid's Transfer Window and Maintains Contact with Kone

There is a reason why Manchester United have yet to sign a third midfielder this summer. According to British media, Sir Jim Ratcliffe still hopes to wait for Real Madrid's Aurélien Tchouaméni. After missing out on Elliot Anderson, who moved from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City, Ratcliffe is banking on another dream signing becoming possible. Having already secured two new midfielders, the Red Devils' owner feels he has the luxury to wait and see.

The first midfielder to join this summer, André Santos, has already played in two pre-season friendlies for Manchester United, and Youri Tielemans is also due to officially report to the team soon. His World Cup injury does not affect his participation in this summer's training camp. Both can play as defensive midfielders, but neither is a pure defensive midfielder, lacking in physicality and coverage ability.

Manu Koné may be the player Manchester United are looking to bring in. The club has already opened negotiations with his agent. However, the club has yet to initiate formal talks or make an offer to Roma. British media reports that United are waiting for another French World Cup winner, Tchouaméni.

It is understood that Manchester United are happy to wait for Real Madrid to make a decision on Tchouaméni's transfer before taking action. Ratcliffe has identified Tchouaméni as the ideal successor to Casemiro. Initially, it was thought that Tchouaméni would stay at the Bernabéu after signing a new contract, but the transfer rumors surrounding Rodri have given the Red Devils renewed hope.

If Tchouaméni were to join, it would be a statement signing for Ratcliffe and the INEOS management team, enough to delight fans. However, for the deal to materialize, many conditions must be met simultaneously. First, Real Madrid must secure Rodri before they would consider selling Tchouaméni at a high price. Both Tchouaméni and Eduardo Camavinga could be sold.

Nevertheless, both Tchouaméni and Camavinga are happy at the Bernabéu and wish to play under the renowned coach José Mourinho. Therefore, unless Real Madrid forcibly list them for sale, the two players would only consider moving to other clubs, such as Manchester United.

Some fans have joked that Manchester United are caught up in a "love triangle" transfer saga. Carlos Baleba is eager to join, but the Red Devils are ignoring him, focusing instead on Tchouaméni, who is very happy at Real Madrid and has no intention of leaving. This reminds people of the scenes when Manchester United persistently pursued Frenkie de Jong under Ten Hag's management. Fans hope that the outcome will not be the same.

Moreover, it remains to be seen whether Manchester United can afford the transfer fee and wage demands set by Real Madrid. Just like earlier in the summer window, Ratcliffe greatly admired the 23-year-old Anderson but never considered paying the £116 million transfer fee to bring him in.

According to *The Guardian*, Manchester United's upper limit for the third midfielder could be around £70 million. They are optimistic that this price might be enough to land Tchouaméni. Real Madrid originally paid €80 million (approximately £68.5 million) to sign him from Monaco.

Ratcliffe seems to keep expecting other clubs to lower their prices for their star players, but he has already suffered heavy setbacks. Manchester United believed that West Ham United would need to sell their key players cheaply after relegation, hoping to snap up Matheus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville. However, the "Hammers" sold the two players for £85 million and €80 million respectively.

ESPN's senior Manchester United correspondent Andy Mitten said that Tchouaméni's transfer fee and wages might exceed what United can afford. This is because Real Madrid may benchmark against the transfer prices of Premier League midfielders like Anderson, Morgan Rogers, and Sandro Tonali, which are over £100 million. Additionally, after renewing his contract, Tchouaméni's weekly wage is reportedly £400,000!

Mitten said: "According to multiple sources I've spoken to, Manchester United have indeed been interested in Tchouaméni for a long time. But he is doing well in Madrid and is still very happy there. Real Madrid are making big signings, and it is said they also need to sell some players. So who will Real Madrid sell? If they really consider selling Tchouaméni, they will definitely compare the huge transfer fees of those Premier League midfielders and think they can make a lot of money too! I'm not sure if Manchester United are willing to pay such a high fee, but he is a player they have admired for a long time. Additionally, his wage demands also need to be considered."

Real Madrid have signed a three-year contract extension with Tchouaméni, partly because they thought at the time that Rodri was unattainable. However, even if they now have a chance to sign Rodri, the renewal decision will help Real Madrid increase the selling price, preventing Tchouaméni from entering the final two years of his contract, which would reduce his value.

The *Manchester Evening News* reports that Manchester United conducted a background check on Tchouaméni months ago and intend to complete the deal when the player becomes available. However, there are still many uncontrollable elements in this transfer. For example, although Real Madrid believe Rodri could be signed, Manchester City insist they have no intention of selling him. New coach Enzo Maresca has stated that Rodri will return to the team and said he is not worried about the transfer rumors.

If Vinícius Júnior transfers to Arsenal, Tchouaméni's move could also be hindered. Unlike Tchouaméni, Real Madrid have not yet reached a new contract with the Brazilian winger, and the Gunners are ready to make a massive offer for him. If Vinícius leaves, Real Madrid might not need to make another high-value sale to raise funds.

Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano insists that Roma's Manu Koné is a more realistic target for Manchester United. "Manchester United have been in contact with Koné's team, and personal terms should not be a problem. Evaluation and negotiations for the third midfielder will soon take place. United have communicated with Koné's agent and had concrete talks, but have not yet contacted Roma. Tchouaméni's transfer still seems unlikely to happen, while Carlos Baleba is not being reconsidered. Koné impressed at the World Cup, so United have evaluated him."