According to Spanish outlet Sport, Chelsea ‘insist’ on signing Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni.
The London giants are likely to make multiple midfield signings this summer with a number of players heading for the exit door. N’Golo Kante has already joined Al-Ittihad on a free transfer while Mateo Kovacic is expected to sign for Manchester City.
Sport now reveal that Chelsea are determined to sign Tchouameni. They have already failed with an opening bid of £52 million for the Frenchman, and could make a fresh offer of £69 million – a similar fee that Madrid paid to Monaco to sign him.
Quality
Chelsea are on the hunt for a new defensive midfielder. They were initially keen on landing Manuel Ugarte from Sporting Lisbon, but Paris Saint-Germain beat them to his signature after proposing a better salary package.
Brighton & Hove Albion’s Moises Caicedo has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge in recent days, but a deal seems very costly for Chelsea at the moment with the Seagulls eyeing around £120 million for his sale.
Tchouameni could be one of their alternative targets and it would be a huge statement if they can convince Madrid and the player over a summer transfer. The Frenchman would be an outstanding purchase for the Blues.
Last season, he started in only 24 of his 33 La Liga appearances, but was brilliant with his distribution. According to Whoscored, he completed 94% of his passes, winning 2 tackles and over 5 duels per league game.
The 23-year-old barely lost possession for Carlo Ancelotti’s team. Chelsea would be getting a player, who is not far off from becoming a world-class midfielder. It remains to be seen whether they can secure an agreement.
Madrid recently signed Jude Bellingham in a big-money transfer from Borussia Dortmund and he plays in a similar role as Tchouameni. Eduardo Camavinga is another that will compete for the same position.
If Tchouameni has any concerns over his playing time, he could contemplate an exit. Chelsea will be hoping that is the case, but this could also trigger interest from other clubs that have qualified for the Champions League.
