Too high! Manchester United completely missed out on signing Tchouaméni, as Mourinho gave the green light for Real Madrid to offer a 400,000 weekly wage for his contract extension.

Manchester United's attempt to acquire Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni has fallen through swiftly. Despite the buzz surrounding a potential transfer to Old Trafford this week, it turns out to be a fabricated "price-inflating" tactic by his agent for contract negotiations. The 26-year-old Frenchman has verbally agreed to a new contract with Real Madrid, and the official signing of a deal running through 2031 will take place after the World Cup.

According to the Daily Mail, Tchouaméni's agent was simultaneously negotiating a new contract with Real Madrid and keeping in touch with Manchester United. The French midfielder demanded a weekly wage of £350,000 from United, a figure that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his team were unwilling to accept. In the end, Tchouaméni successfully pressured Real Madrid into agreeing to an extension, as his desire all along was to continue playing for the Spanish club.

Before the end of last season, a clash between Tchouaméni and Real Madrid captain Federico Valverde briefly gave United hope. Valverde mocked Tchouaméni in the locker room, prompting the latter to strike back. During the altercation, Valverde hit his head on a table, suffering a cut on his forehead that bled, and even briefly lost consciousness, requiring hospital treatment.

After the incident, Valverde refused to shake hands with Tchouaméni and engaged in intense confrontations with teammates during training. Then-Real Madrid manager Álvaro Arbeloa had to pair them on the same team in practice, leading Valverde to mockingly remark that Tchouaméni was lucky not to have to face him in opposition.

However, new Real Madrid boss José Mourinho made it clear to club president Florentino Pérez that after their clash, Tchouaméni and Valverde could coexist.

Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealed: "Tchouaméni will renew his contract with Real Madrid until 2031, with lawyers having reviewed all terms. Mourinho has been explicit: he wants both Tchouaméni and Valverde to stay. Next, Real Madrid will extend contracts for more players."

Ben Jacobs added: "Tchouaméni has reached a verbal agreement with Real Madrid to extend until 2031. The club has always been open to giving him a new contract, and Mourinho's influence accelerated the final renewal process."

According to insider information from Jacobs, Tchouaméni's new contract will bring him a net annual salary of €13 million, equivalent to a pre-tax annual salary of €25 million. In Real Madrid's squad, this puts him level with Vinícius Júnior, behind only Mbappé's €31.25 million per year. Converting Tchouaméni's earnings into a format familiar to Premier League fans, that's roughly a weekly wage of £400,000!

Manchester United once again successfully played the role of "price inflators." Although Tchouaméni was the ideal transfer target for owner Ratcliffe, the player never wanted to join, and Real Madrid never indicated they would sell. It all seemed like mere hype. However, for United and its fans, this also serves as a relief—avoiding a prolonged transfer saga and allowing the club to focus on signing more realistic players.

Now, Bournemouth's Alex Scott has become Manchester United's primary target. The "Cherries" will not accept a transfer fee below £80 million. Having secured qualification for next season's Europa League, they are in a strong position to hold firm on their valuation. The club hopes to renew Scott's contract with a £75 million release clause, considering a sale only next year.

Moreover, United is not the only club interested in Scott, which will spark a bidding war and drive up his price. Arsenal was the first to inquire about the 22-year-old English midfielder's price but was rejected. Manchester City is also keeping tabs on Scott, though their first choice is Lille's Moroccan teenage talent Ayyoub Bouaddi.

Manchester United has long been criticized for overpaying for many players who didn't live up to their fees, but this summer, Ratcliffe and Ineos seem to have overcorrected. They aim to get value for money in the transfer market, but unfortunately, the current market sees major clubs scrambling for midfielders, naturally inflating prices.

This summer window, each time United has been outbid by other clubs for their target players, with Manchester City and Tottenham willing to pay high fees for players United would not stump up for. If this trend continues, United's midfield reinforcement will make no progress, or they may sign players without achieving a significant upgrade in quality.

Ratcliffe's ideal hope is to find a player like Mbeumo, Cunha, or Šeško—talented and willing to join only United. Unfortunately, it must be admitted that such players are now rare. Moreover, times have changed; the rivals competing with United for midfield talent are now title contenders like Manchester City and Arsenal, as well as the big-spending Tottenham. United may ultimately have to abandon this principle and pay a premium, or give up on signing established stars and instead take a gamble on unproven talent.