French media perfectly explain why world cup star might just be the perfect Mainoo partner at Man United

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The Peoples Person

1 July 2026

With dream moves for Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes now off the table,

Manchester United

must look elsewhere.

There is little debate about where the Red Devils should turn after the latest setback of

missing out on Fernandes

Aurelien Tchouameni

has rapidly emerged as INEOS’ dream signing, with suggestions the club may even

break its wage structure

to secure him.

The

Frenchman

is a proper old-school defensive midfielder. He dominates duels, aerial or on the ground, carries the physicality required for the Premier League, and progresses the ball with purpose.

Yes, he is not as nimble‑footed as

Kobbie Mainoo

, who can dribble out of tight spaces. But he would free Mainoo to focus on driving attacking play, hence the perfect complement for the Englishman.

Notably, after his standout performance as France cruised to a 3-0 World Cup round of 32 win over Sweden, French media’s reaction perfectly captured why he is the ideal next United number six:

Foot Mercato

: “Positioned deeper than Rabiot, he was less prominent than his midfield partner.

“This positioning may have seemed surprising in the first half given France’s complete dominance. After the break, his forward run led to the second goal.”

Maxi Foot

: “A solid performance from the French midfielder. Present in the centre of the pitch, he held his own in winning back possession, dominating several duels.

“As usual, the Real Madrid player displayed excellent technical ability, creating space to attack. We liked his interception that led to Barcola’s goal.”

Tchouameni has been an unsung hero for this French team, with all the plaudits going to the attackers.

That said, those reactions clearly capture how Tchouameni excelled as the sole sitter against Sweden, giving

Adrien Rabiot

and France’s other attackers the freedom to focus on creating and converting chances while he provided the defensive cover.

Missing out on Fernandes may have left many frustrated, but he was not specifically what this United midfield needed.

Beyond his ability on the ball, his progression and passing, he was not going to be the player who set Mainoo free. In fact, his struggles defending transitions would likely have left United outplayed again in the centre of the park when out of possession and on the counter.

Breaking the bank for Tchouameni ultimately makes more sense for United than doing so for Anderson or Fernandes would have. Alongside Mainoo and

Bruno Fernandes

, he would plug the team’s defensive issues and lay the foundation for control.

And with the Frenchman on board, United could then comfortably pursue promising midfield talents like

Johan Manzambi

Lamine Camara

Featured image Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey via Getty Images

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