‘Key’—How Jose Mourinho Convinced Aurelien Tchouameni to Snub Man Utd

Manchester United have been foiled by their former manager in the quest for a new elite midfielder.

José Mourinho (left) reportedly played a role in keeping Aurélien Tchouaméni. | Gualter Fatia/Getty Images (Mourinho), MAURICE VAN STEEN/ANP/Getty Images (Tchouaméni).

Years since leaving the Premier League, José Mourinho is still able to get under Manchester United’s skin. The charm offensive delivered by the freshly appointed Real Madrid manager was reportedly one of the main reasons why Aurélien Tchouaméni is expected to sign a new contract in the Spanish capital rather than make the move to Old Trafford.

Tchouaméni’s time at Real Madrid appeared to have come to an end after the France international became involved in a scuffle with his teammate Federico Valverde at the end of last season. The Uruguayan required treatment in hospital.

That literal in-fighting was one of the chief motivations behind Florentino Pérez’s very public push to appoint a tough character like Mourinho and it appears as though the ‘Special One’ has already worked his magic.

In the face of mounting interest from Manchester United, Mourinho made it abundantly clear to Tchouaméni how important he would be to his new project, hailing the uncertain star as a “key player,” according to ESPN. This conversation is similarly described as “key” to convincing the 26-year-old.

Mourinho’s affection for Tchouaméni is thought to stem from his attributes off the pitch, as much as his technical quality. Fabrizio Romano explained on his YouTube channel that the Portuguese drill sergeant viewed the defensive midfielder as one of his “fighters with a top mentality.”

Building a roster laced with “warriors” is a familiar Mourinho tactic. Scores of his former players from Porto, Chelsea and Inter laud the way the part-coach, part-psychologist created a siege mentality, pitting the squad against a perceived (often imaginary) enemy to unite in the fight for one common cause.

Tchouaméni is a determined character who takes pride in bettering himself. This is a player who researches other sports stars to try and decipher the secrets to their success, taking notes on the likes of New Zealand’s All Blacks rugby union side and a coterie of NBA superstars. “Get up every day and be better than yesterday,” is a mantra he often repeats.

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Tchouaméni’s Reported New Real Madrid Salary

Aurélien Tchouaméni faces an uncertain future at Real Madrid. | Diego Souto/Getty Images

As convincing as Mourinho can be, Tchouaméni’s decision to extend his Real Madrid contract is also thought to have been helped by the financial package put on the table.

While some outlets initially reported an eye-watering pay rise to an annual net salary of $14.8 million (€13 million), it has since been claimed by AS that Tchouaméni will bank somewhere in the region of $10.3 million (€9 million).

Considering Tchouaméni previously took home roughly $7.5 million (€6.6 million), the incentive is clear.

Doubts had already been forming at Manchester United over whether the Red Devils could afford the type of transfer fee which Real Madrid would demand. Now that Tchouaméni has been taken off the table completely, United can at least ignore those concerns.

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