Who is Aurelien Tchouameni? The £85m Real Madrid transfer target who studies Kante, Pogba and De Bruyne
Aurelien Tchouameni earned plenty of plaudits last season and is now reportedly on the verge of joining Champions League winners Real Madrid.
The 22-year-old is the latest Monaco star to see his stock rise, and after breaking into France’s senior team late last year, widespread reports claim Real Madrid have reached a verbal agreement to sign the midfielder for €100m (£85m).
Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Juventus were among the other clubs linked with Tchouameni, who was described as a “complete, modern midfielder” by teammate Cesc Fabregas last summer.
Responding to a question about Chelsea potentially signing Tchouameni, Fabregas added: “We need him still… sorry.”
Addressing his own future in May, Tchouameni said: “I am contracted here until 2024 with the option until 2025. We’ll see what the future has in store for me.
“The transfer window is always a period where lots of things can happen. There is my personal case, but there are cases for lots of other players who are out of contract or who perhaps have desires elsewhere.”
Tchouameni has also been the subject of praise from international teammate Paul Pogba.
“He’s not a boy, he’s a man,” Pogba said. “It’s a pleasure to play next to him, he provides a lot… plenty of energy, technical quality and extraordinary physicality.
“I hope to play plenty of games together and always be on his side.”
Comparisons have been drawn between Tchouameni and Pogba, although the latter is not the only player the youngster looks up to.
“People have always compared me to Pogba, because of our physique, and the way we played when we were young,” Tchouameni told The Ligue 1 Show.
“To be one of the best you have to take inspiration from the best. I look at the way Pogba uses the ball, the way [N’Golo] Kante wins the ball, [Patrick] Vieira’s box-to-box style, the way [Andres] Iniesta, Cesc [Fabregas] and Xavi [Hernandez] use the ball. I love watching Kevin De Bruyne play.”
His admiration for an array of midfielders with varying talents has resulted in a defensive midfielder capable of contributing goals as well.
The two sides to Tchouameni
France U21s coach Sylvain Ripoll told L’Equipe: “Defensively, he’s capable of running for 90 minutes at very high intensity.
Aurelien Tchouameni is a regular for Monaco (Photo: Getty)
“He always puts his opponents under pressure. He’s very good at reading the intentions of his opponents. He can play in a variety of ways but is monstrous when he has the game in front of him.
“He has a great shot on him and has really improved that aspect of his game over the last two years. He has become much more ambitious in terms of his attacking play.”
Defensively, no player completed more tackles (86) and interceptions (101) combined than Tchouameni (187) in Ligue 1, while he enjoyed an average rating of 7.32 on WhoScored.com – placing him eighth overall in the league.
“We are very happy to have him with us at AS Monaco. He is becoming a real leader in this team,” ex-Monaco boss Niko Kovac had said: “Bravo to him for his selection with France, I am going to speak with Didier (Deschamps) so that he does not make him play too much.”
Deschamps described Tchouameni as an “example” for other French youngsters to follow, having handed him his debut against Bosnia and Herzegovina and then a first start against Ukraine.
It was a reward for his impressive start to the season, while he had already enjoyed a breakthrough campaign when starting 36 of Monaco’s 38 Ligue 1 games last term, with L’Equipe labelling him the “revelation of the season” at Stade Louis II as the club finished third behind Lille and PSG.
Tchouameni is evidently eager to learn and taking the heightened attention in his stride. That may well amplify as the caps increase for France, but the notetaking is not stopping just yet.
“I am a curious person and I often ask questions, to constantly improve myself, to progress, whether with the club or for France,” he told Monaco’s website. “Do I usually take notes? If I showed you my phone, you would see some things, but that’s personal.
“I’ve been gaining momentum over the months since I arrived here in January 2020. I’m definitely not the same player now, but I hope to keep improving and come back in front of you to talk about it in another 60 games.”
Despite Monaco wanting to keep hold of him, Tchouameni does appear to be Real Madrid-bound, where he could join compatriot Eduardo Camavinga.
The prospect of Tchouameni and Camavinga together proves Real are thinking long-term, and while their much-acclaimed trio of Toni Kroos (32), Luka Modric (36) and Casemiro (30) won a fifth Champions League medal recently, the club evidently do not want to stand still.
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