Mueez Ajao
– Real Madrid have signed the highly rated France midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni from AS Monaco on a six-year contract, it has been announced.
– The Champions League winners have agreed to pay a transfer fee of around €80 million to sign Tchouameni, 22, after seeing off competition from Liverpool to land the player.
– Madrid and Monaco reached an agreement for the deal on Tuesday with the midfielder opting to join the Spanish champions over Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain.
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– Tchouameni is seen by Madrid as a potential long-term replacement for Casemiro, 30, and will form part of a new midfield generation at the Bernabeu alongside Federico Valverde (23) and Eduardo Camavinga (19).
– Despite being turned down by top target Kylian Mbappe — who decided to sign a new three-year contract at PSG in a last-minute change of heart — Madrid have been busy preparing for this summer’s transfer window.
– As well as Tchouameni, they have confirmed the signing of Germany defender Antonio Rudiger on a free transfer from Chelsea.
Comunicado Oficial: Tchouaméni. #RealMadrid | #WelcomeTchouaméni
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) June 11, 2022
– In January, Madrid were looking at options to rejuvenate their midfield, with Tchouameni the outstanding candidate. Madrid’s chief scout Juni Calafat visited Monaco that month to lay the groundwork for a possible deal.
#WelcomeTchouaméni pic.twitter.com/QAxhUnSo7X
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) June 11, 2022
– While Madrid had reached an agreement with the player, their deal with Monaco was held up by Spain’s classification of the Principality of Monaco as a tax haven, meaning the Ligue 1 club would have to pay 24% tax on their profits from the transfer.
🙌 ¡Ganas de esto! 🙌#WelcomeTchouaméni pic.twitter.com/Xqumc0un5j
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) June 11, 2022
– Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti wanted the club to sign a new defensive midfielder as a priority and Tchouameni was the main candidate ahead of Ajax’s Ryan Gravenberch.
– Los Blancos want to refresh their midfield and believe the young Frenchman has everything “to become the defensive midfielder of the future.”
– Tchouameni made 35 league appearances for Monaco last season, scoring three goals as they finished third in the table behind PSG and Marseille.
– He has already played 10 times for France and was named by manager Didier Deschamps in the squad for this month’s Nations League games with Denmark, Croatia and Austria.
