Manchester United’s transfer chiefs are gearing up for a summer that could make or break the club. After dragging themselves from the abyss to qualify for the Champions League, the Red Devils could bank around £100million for their participation in Europe’s most prestigious club competition, and INEOS are willing to spend.
However, one player who won’t be making the switch to Old Trafford is Cole Palmer. The 20-time European champions aren’t expected to contest for the English playmaker, not least because Chelsea are said to be asking for at least £90m for Palmer’s signature.
After another disappointing season for Chelsea, where the two-time European champions will almost certainly miss out on Champions League qualification, there were some suggestions that Palmer could look to leave the club this summer. That was put to rest when the ex-Manchester City ace came out and committed himself to the Blues for the foreseeable future.
But it should be welcomed by those within the United recruitment team, as the money they’ll save on a £90m transfer and likely £200,000 per week contract across a minimum of five years (£142m total outlay), can be used to focus on alternative targets. Chief among them is Aurelien Tchouameni, who has been tipped to join the Old Trafford outfit in the summer transfer window, as United plot a midfield revamp.
Tchouameni was involved in a bust-up with Real Madrid team-mate Federico Valverde, with the pair of them disciplined by Los Blancos. It’s claimed that the Frenchman could cost as much as £70m, with United in need of a replacement for Casemiro, who is set to depart when the season concludes.
It’s been reported that United are desperate for more than one midfield reinforcement this summer, with West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes another potential target. West Ham are currently languishing in the bottom three, meaning a cut-price deal for the Portuguese ace could be on the cards, should they drop down to the second tier.
Fernandes is valued at £30m by Transfermarkt, but if West Ham are relegated to the Championship, there’s a chance that the fee could drop even further. As such, it would mean United are able to bank two top-quality players for the overall price Palmer would likely cost.