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Manchester United have discovered how much they will have to fork out to land the signature of AS Roma midfielder Neil El Aynaoui.
Stiff competition
Having completed the signings of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans from Chelsea and Aston Villa respectively, United have turned their attention towards landing a third midfielder.
A number of names are under consideration including Manu Kone (AS Roma), Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid), Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace), Carlos Baleba (Brighton & Hove Albion) and Alex Scott (Bournemouth).
Earlier this month, a report covered by The Peoples Person relayed that United are also admirers of El Aynaoui.
Kone may be the name on everyone’s lips, but El Aynaoui quietly went about delivering a highly impressive 2025/26 campaign of his own.
He made 25 Serie A appearances last term, contributing one goal and two assists in that period. The 25-year-old carried his impressive form onto the World Cup stage with Morocco, delivering a series of superb performances to help the Atlas Lions reach the quarter-finals of the competition.
In addition to United, the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Brighton, Bournemouth, Newcastle United and Sunderland have all been credited with an interest in El Aynaoui and have held discussions with intermediaries.
El Aynaoui update
According to Corriere dello Sport journalist Eleonora Trotta, El Aynaoui has also been approached by Turkish teams.
“#ElAynaoui has been approached by Turkish and English clubs. His performances at the #WorldCup have increased interest in the #Roma midfielder.”
#ElAynaoui è stato sondato da club turchi e inglesi. Le prestazioni al #Mondiale ha aumentato l’interesse per il centrocampista della #Roma.#calciomercato
— Eleonora Trotta (@eleonora_trotta) July 23, 2026
Roma signed him from RC Lens last summer in a deal worth €23.5m plus add-ons, including a percentage of the future sale fee.
Football Italia note that El Aynaoui is currently valued at around €35-40m.
In a market where midfielders are routinely changing hands for twice that figure, this fee looks remarkably modest.
Featured Image Buda Mendes via Getty Images
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