Manchester United have kicked off their summer transfer dealings after wrapping up a deal for England international, Mason Mount, with Erik ten Hag finally getting his man for an initial fee of £55m.

While the expectation is that the Red Devils will now prioritise moves for a new goalkeeper and centre-forward over the coming weeks, there have also been reports that Mount could be joined by another midfield addition at Old Trafford, helping to provide competition to the likes of Christian Eriksen and Casemiro ahead of next season.

As per 90min, the likes of Romeo Lavia and Sofyan Amrabat have been mooted as possible targets, although reports in Spain have claimed that Ten Hag is keen to snap up Aurelien Tchouameni from Real Madrid, with the 23-year-old also said to be open to making the move to England after just 12 months in the Spanish capital.

The belief is that Ten Hag has ordered United officials to travel to Madrid in order to try and strike a deal for the former Monaco man, with the La Liga giants likely to demand around €80m (£69m) if they are to part ways with the 6 foot 2 maestro this summer.

Just a year on from having snapped up Casemiro from the Bernabeu on a £70m deal, the Red Devils could again raid Los Blancos for another dominant midfield gem.

How good is Aurelien Tchouameni?

The 25-cap France international has already received glowing praise from a man with United connections in recent times, having been described as a "superb talent" by Champions League-winning defender Rio Ferdinand following his displays at the World Cup in Qatar.

Also hailed as a "ball-recovering machine" by journalist Lucas Navarette – as he ranks in the top 1% among his European peers for tackles made – Tchouameni could provide competition to the aforementioned Casemiro at the base of the midfield, before potentially succeeding the Brazilian as the first-choice option in the years to come.

The Rouen-born gem's suitability for life in the Premier League in that deep-lying role can be illustrated by his apparent likeness to Manchester City's Rodri, according to FBref, with the pair said to share a number of stylistic and statistical similarities.

That comparison between the duo is best showcased by their innate composure in possession, with the City star ranking in the top 2% for pass completion, while Tchouameni ranks in the top 1% in that regard.

Not that the two men merely look for the safe pass, however, with the Madrid menace also ranking in the top 5% for attempted passes as a marker of his forward-thinking approach, with that trait also shared by Rodri, who ranks in the top 1% in that regard.

In a defensive sense, the pair are also alike as a result of that physical dominance, with Tchouameni ranking in the top 11% for aerial duels won, while the former Atletico Madrid ace ranks in the top 9% for that same metric.

The latter man is certainly a figure whom any manager would wish to have in their ranks, with the Spaniard having been described as the "best holding midfielder in the world" by pundit Danny Murphy, having played his part in helping Pep Guardiola's side to treble glory last season.

For United to then be able to acquire their own, younger version of the 27-year-old with the signing of Tchouameni could represent a dream scenario, with the hope being that Ten Hag has the funds at his disposal to get that marquee deal over the line.