Liverpool not dead in Aurelien Tchouameni transfer race, as Monaco man makes admission
Monaco star Aurelien Tchouameni has yet to decide on his future and has admitted his admiration for both Liverpool and Real Madrid.
The midfielder has been on Jurgen Klopp’s radar at Anfield for some time. With the need for an injection of youth in his midfield Klopp is understood to be keen to get a deal for the 22-year-old over the line.
Foot Mercato reported Liverpool had made contact with Tchouameni’s camp. The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported Tchouameni was a scouting target for the Reds in January.
And, according to The Times, Liverpool’s interest is genuine.
But Liverpool looked to have lost out when RMC Sport claimed to have the inside scoop on Tchouameni’s next club. And despite earlier nods to Liverpool, it seems new sporting director Julian Ward’s advances had been rejected.
Indeed, the French outlet claimed Tchouameni has agreed a five-year deal to move to Real Madrid. They claimed he would move in a £68.6m deal and will become Carlo Ancelotti’s marquee signing of the summer.
But those outlets appear to have jumped the gun with the player himself claiming his future is undecided.
“I like both [Real Madrid and Liverpool]: I can watch Spanish games and English games,” he told CNN. “It’s different to play in Spain and it’s different to play in England, but at the end, for me, it’s just a matter of adaptation.
“I’m an ambitious person. Every time I do something, I just want to win,” he added. “If I want to be great, I have to adapt to find some stuff that will allow me to grow as a player.
“I tried to find a lot of players who came here young and then have grown, and they’d be able to play in a bigger club at the end of their journey here in Monaco.”
Tchouameni, a defensive midfielder, is under contract in Monaco until 2024.
Late Chelsea bid for Tchouameni?
Monaco’s sporting director Paul Mitchell has though suggested Tchouameni is likely to move on this summer. However, he has told his suitors it will take an “aggressive” approach to land the talented player.
Tchouameni though has suitors across Europe, including PSG, after helping Monaco back into the Champions League.
Chelsea are also long-time suitors of the player, who made 50 appearances this season. The Blues though have had to take a backseat in recent months amid their takeover.
However, Goal reports that Chelsea could make a late bid to land the player, who was named Ligue 1’s Young Player of the Year in 2020/21.
Tchouameni has put a lot of his personal success down to his experienced team-mate Cesc Fabregas.
“Fabregas is a legend of football, so when I came here, my first idea was to ask him a lot of questions – his movements, how he gives the ball,” Tchouameni added.
“For me, it’s easy because I have one of the best midfielders in football; he helps me a lot. I have everything here to develop and grow as a player.”
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