United have been monitoring Tchouameni in the build-up to the summer transfer window, and sources say the Premier League giants are waiting to see whether they can take advantage of the fallout from his clash with teammate Federico Valverde.
The France international was involved in a heated altercation this week. Valverde required hospital treatment after suffering a blow to the head during a training ground spat between the two.
Tchouameni’s future in Madrid has already been in some doubt and the clash immediately sparked fresh speculation that one of the midfielders could ultimately be sacrificed this summer.
Madrid have so far attempted to contain the matter internally. Both players are believed to have held talks after the incident and financial punishments have been issued, with both players fined €500,000. No sporting sanctions are expected.
The timing could hardly be worse for Madrid as the Spanish giants travel to face Barcelona today in one of the biggest matches of their season.
Madrid must win the game to stop Barcelona from winning the league.
United, meanwhile, are preparing for a significant midfield rebuild this summer and are expected to target two central midfielders. Qualification for the Champions League strengthens their hand considerably when it comes to pursuing elite-level targets.
Tchouameni remains highly regarded at Old Trafford because of his pedigree, physical profile and ability to dictate games from midfield. The 26-year-old has also previously appeared open-minded about the prospect of playing in England at some stage in his career.
Currently, sources insist the altercation with Valverde does not automatically place Tchouameni on the transfer market.
Some believe the situation could yet evolve during the summer, but Madrid’s current position is that the incident alone is not enough to trigger a sale, and that the club will sort out the situation once they have a new boss in place.
Jose Mourinho is currently odds-on favourite to be in charge of Real Madrid by the first game of next season.