Reports suggest that Manchester United have a strong interest in Aurélien Tchouaméni, especially now that it has become clear he is unlikely to have much of a role at Real Madrid and is no longer a key player. And we have to talk about this possibility, because there is an interesting debate here.
Let’s understand one thing: Tchouaméni comes to United to be a starter. That is obvious. The team need a 6 with his characteristics. Right now, looking at the recent ideas, the midfield would be Bruno Fernandes, Tielemans and Andrey Santos, with Mainoo rotating with Andrey. If you bring in Tchouaméni, someone has to come out.
With this idea of Andrey, Bruno and Tielemans, the midfield is not exactly the best defensively, because Tielemans is not physical, Bruno does not have to defend, and that leaves only Andrey. You need a Tchouaméni, a wall. But what about Mainoo? Once again, he gets pushed into the background, even though he is the box-to-box midfielder, the most complete of them all. He has to be part of it and he has to start.
Given this situation, which is a good debate because these are the debates you want to have, you have 5 very good players for 3 positions. There is one you do not touch: Bruno Fernandes, the captain and the club’s most important player. That leaves 4 players competing for 2 places, with 3 of them having arrived less than a month ago and the other being the brightest young talent and already an established player in the team. With these options, Tchouaméni has to play because of the solidity he brings, even if he is not as creative.
Leaving 3 players for 1 position, I would choose Mainoo. We are talking about an exceptional talent, the most complete one, perfect for the 8 role. And I will say it now: I do not like the Tchouaméni + Tielemans combination. Out of every possible midfield combination, it is the one that convinces me the least.
Conclusion
These debates are healthy because they show quality. Manchester United still need new full-backs and perhaps a top-class winger, while the midfield is already starting to become crowded. But overall, those are good problems to have.