Manchester United are one of the clubs in the running to sign Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni during the summer transfer window, Sport claims.
Tchouameni is regarded as one of the best young defensive midfielders in world football. He has been regularly linked with a move away from Monaco since last summer.
Barcelona are one of the player’s admirers, but Sport claims that they are unlikely to afford him due to the €60 million (£50m) valuation. They are eyeing a low-cost option in Franck Kessie.
Amidst this, it is claimed that the Red Devils are keen on landing the Frenchman’s signature but are likely to face competition from Real Madrid and Premier League rivals Chelsea.
Our view:
Tchouameni had an excellent breakthrough campaign at Monaco last term, and he has continued to impress this season with top-class performances from the defensive midfield role.
The 22-year-old has averaged nearly three tackles and three interceptions per game alongside two aerial duels. This statistic is far superior to Scott McTominay, Fred and Nemanja Matic.
He has also proved himself at the international level with France. Earlier this campaign, United star Paul Pogba praised the ‘extraordinary‘ abilities of his compatriot.
Tchouameni would be an upgrade on the current holding midfield options at United. Aside from being strong defensively, he has also shown a desire to make forward runs and has five goal contributions this season.
Whether United can pursue him remains a big question. They may need to guarantee him Champions League football first amid fierce competition from Madrid and Chelsea.
While both clubs may not assure him a starting role, the Blues are long-term admirers.
They have been watching him since last summer and could be United’s biggest threat in the pursuit.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com and WhoScored.com.
