Mission (im)possible for United: Outsmart Madrid and steal their kid from Stuttgart

Casemiro is on his way out of Old Trafford, and Manchester United need a replacement for the Brazilian. But not just any replacement, but preferably a young and talented prospect.

According to The Sun, the Premier League side's scouts found one such target in Germany and were delighted with a player dubbed the "new Rodri" - Chema Andres of Stuttgart.

Still, the Red Devils' route to him is rather tangled and complex.

First of all, they are not the only interested club, as Arsenal, Manchester City, Newcastle, and Real Madrid have all eyed the 20-year-old. And perhaps United would manage to beat the competition from their homeland and sign the youngster, but there's one major problem - Los Blancos have a possibly crucial edge.

Namely, after spending his maiden youth years at the little-known Betera and Levante, Andres joined Real Madrid's academy, where he spent six years before being sold to Stuttgart for €3 million in July 2025.

Who'd splash out over €10 million on a 16-year-old? Bayern, United, Madrid, Barca... You name it!

However, Florentino Perez and Co. would never give up on a potential gem easily, so they included a buy-back clause into the deal with the Bundesliga side, worth, for today's standards, only £10 million.

Hence, the situation is completely out of United's control, as Madrid has Andres' future in their hands.

Although aged only 20, the Spaniard has established himself as one of the key players on Sebastian Hoeness's team shortly after joining the Swabians. He's made 29 appearances this season (15 as a starter), scored two goals, and provided as many assists.

Nevertheless, The Sun claims that his biggest qualities aren't scoring and setting up goals, but his out-of-possession traits - exactly what United need. If only Madrid weren't standing in their way...