Leadnaija
Real Madrid is willing to listen to offers for its midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni according to SPORT, which also cited a report from Defensa Central – both of which used anonymous sources.
Los Blancos president Florentino Perez was deemed to have pulled off a master stroke in 2022 when beating his club’s Champions League final foes that year Liverpool to the Frenchman’s signature.
Madrid agreed to pay AS Monaco an initial $83 million (€80 million) for the transfer, which can rise to $104 million (€100 million) in value if certain objectives are met.
Almost three years on, though, Tchouameni hasn’t exactly flourished as expected of him, and was even booed earlier this season when his name was read over the tannoy at half time during a sobering loss to head coach Carlo Ancelotti’s former club AC Milan in the Champions League.
Many fans and pundits remain unconvinced by Tchouameni, who it is felt isn’t essential to the Madrid midfield and hasn’t been able to take a step forward in the post-Toni Kroos era.
With Eder Militao and David Alaba out injured to ACL ruptures, he’s played most of the last two seasons more commonly as a center back than a pivot.
Militao’s knock this term paved the way for Raul Asencio to break through to the first team, yet the youngster was dislodged from the back line once Tchouameni returned from a niggle himself in early December.
It’s been suggested that Tchouameni is only being included because of his price tag, at a time when Eduardo Camavinga is deployed as the lone defensive midfielder with the likes of Fede Valverde and Jude Bellingham or captain Luka Modric in front of him.
Looking to recoup some of its outlay on him, Madrid is reportedly ready to listen to offers for Tchouameni and has already received a low ball bid of $36.3 million (€35 million) plus $15.5 million (€15 million) in variables from his former potential suitors Liverpool.
While that’s been knocked back, there’s interest from elsewhere in the Premier League at Manchester United, which has done business with Madrid in the recent past on deals such as those which saw Raphael Varane and Casemiro arrive at Old Trafford.
